


Better Teamwork Through Dragon Hunting

by LulaMadison



Series: Teamwork [1]
Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (2011)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Bar Room Brawl, Bilgesnipe, Community: avengerkink, Dragons, Dwarf, Gambling, Gen, Kidnapping, Lies, Loki Does What He Wants, Magic, Norse Myths & Legends, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Quest, Taverns, Team Bonding, Teambuilding, Teamwork, Trolls, avenger!loki, flyting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-06
Updated: 2012-06-20
Packaged: 2017-11-07 01:27:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/425403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LulaMadison/pseuds/LulaMadison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fill for <a href="http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/5102.html?thread=5753070#t5753070">this prompt</a> on Avengerkink: "One big redemption arc later, Loki is no longer the enemy, but Thor is pretty much the only Avenger to trust or like him. When Odin requests the Avengers' presence on Asgard he orders a very reluctant, resentful Loki to do it instead, since Loki has a very unique knowledge of the secret paths between the Nine Realms.  Unfortunately, Loki generally takes the ... scenic route between dimensions. So he has to guide six egotistical, volatile superheroes through the Nine Realms and all its otherworldly dangers, and somehow get them to Asgard alive. </p><p>Thor is delighted - inter dimensional road trip! Magnificent quests! The perfect bonding experience for his BFFs and little brother! Everyone else ... less so."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How To Rehabilitate Your Trickster.

  
  
“What the hell is _he_ doing here?” Tony shouted when Thor appeared back on Earth just a few months after the Chitauri attack, with an anxious looking Loki in tow.

“Loki has something he wants to say to you,” Thor said, shooing his brother forward.

Loki bowed his head, and clasped his hands in front of himself nervously. His hair had been trimmed neatly, his clothes were plainer, he looked like he'd gained a little weight, and Tony swore the look of guilt on his face was genuine, or a damn good impression of it.

“I-I want to apologise for throwing you through a window,” he stammered. “I shouldn't have done it. You could have been badly injured, and I'm very sorry.”

“What else?” Thor asked, and Loki glanced at him fretfully.

“I'm sorry I brought an army into your realm.”

“ _And?_ ”

Loki looked back at Thor again, and then turned to Tony and said, “I'm sorry I tried to subjugate the human race. It was very rude of me.”

“Excellent!” Thor said, slapping his hand on Loki's shoulder so hard it made him stagger slightly. “Now reparations have been made we can all be friends again! Come brother, you have many more apologies to give this day.”

Thor grabbed Loki by the elbow, and marched him from the room, leaving Tony still stood there, open mouthed, and unsure of what to say.  
  
  
  
Thor took Loki to Stuttgart next where he apologised profusely to the old man who had refused to kneel to him, and to the home of the man whose eyeball he had needed, and after much screaming and chasing, Thor had eventually been able to pin the man to the floor so Loki could say sorry for hurting him.

“I'm sorry I took over your mind,” Loki said when he found Selvig cowering in the corner of his laboratory. “It was wrong of me. I hope you will be able to accept my apology.”  
  
  
They reappeared back at Stark Tower later, and this time the avengers were prepared. Everyone was suited up and ready to fight when Thor unceremoniously put his hand on Loki's ass and pushed him forwards with such strength that he almost tripped over his own feet.

“We don't want any trouble,” Steve said, “but if you make a move we will take you down.”

“Captain, I am not here for mischief or bloodshed, I'm here to say how deeply sorry I am for my previous actions, and I hope one day you will be able to forgive me.”

“Oh yeah, like we'd fall for that one,” Clint said, double-checking that he had an explosive arrow ready to shoot.

“Agent Barton,” Loki said, “I am incredibly sorry for taking over your mind and making you kill people. You have my humble apologies and I hope one day that I can make it up to you. Dr Banner, I'm sorry for goading you into unleashing the beast.”

Loki took a step towards Natasha and raised his hands slightly to show he meant no harm.

“I'm sorry I called you a rude name Agent Romanoff,” he said. “My mother was very disappointed when she found out what I called you. She brought me up much better than that and I am deeply regretful that I called you such a degrading thing.”

“Loki…” Thor rumbled behind him.

“Oh, and I'm sorry for the explosion that blew you all up, and for trying to knock the flying fortress from the sky. Basically, yes, I'm sorry for everything I've done.”

“Excellent!” Thor said, as he began to lead Loki inside by his elbow. “Now come brother, it has been a long day, we must find you a bedroom.”

“Hold on a damn minute,” Natasha shouted, and Thor paused. “You killed our FRIEND, you can't just waltz in here and expect us to forgive you just because you had a telling off from your mother!”

“Agent Coulson has accepted my apology for that,” Loki said, then he looked at Thor and asked, “Did you not tell them?”

“I am sorry brother, it slipped my mind,” Thor said, and then he turned to the Avengers. “My brother and the son of Coul talked for a long time on the matter, they have made amends.”

“Oh and we're just supposed to take your word that Coulson's fine with being dead because you waltzed on into the afterlife and asked him?” Tony snapped.

“Well, _yes…_ ” Loki replied, his face betraying his confusion at their disbelief.

“My friends, you may have my word on my honour that my brother tells the truth,” Thor proclaimed, then he turned to Loki and said, “Come, I shall tuck you into bed, as usual.”

“Thank you, brother,” Loki said, as Thor wrapped an affectionate arm round his shoulders.  
  
  
  
“And what do we do at the end of each day?” Thor asked, as he sat on the edge of the bed, pulled the sheets up to Loki's waist, and gave his stomach a reassuring pat.

“End it with a hug and a kind word,” Loki said, as he sat up and wrapped his arms tightly around Thor.

“I was very proud of you today Loki,” Thor said. “It wasn't easy to face those you have hurt in the past, but you did it.”

“Thank you,” Loki said burying his face in Thor's neck, “and thank you for helping me and believing me. I was sincere in my apologies, but I fear it will take more than that before my words are accepted.”

Thor pulled out of the hug, and said, “What more can we do? If only there was a way they could hear it from the son of Coul himself.”

Loki thought for a moment, and then said, “I have an idea.”  
  
  
  
  
“Zombie! Zombie apocalypse!” Tony shouted when Coulson walked nonchalantly into the kitchen the next morning and poured himself a cup of coffee.

“ _Ohhh…_ ” Coulson intoned after his first mouthful. “I have been _dying_ for a good cup of coffee for weeks.”

“Dying?” Tony asked. “I think you'll find your tense is wrong there, and I know because I was at your funeral.”

“I saw,” Coulson said, leaning his back against the counter, and cradling the cup in both hands so he could smell it. “I got a really good turn out, didn't I?”

Tony slumped to the table, put his head in his hands and said, “That's it. I've finally lost my mind. People warned me, they said I drink too much and don't get enough sleep and they said _‘Tony, one day you'll go nuts’_ and I never believed them, but it's finally happened.”

“Stop being dramatic, Stark.”

“Were you really dead?” Tony asked. “Was that even your blood on those Captain America trading cards, or was it just another one of Fury's lies?”

“There's blood on my trading cards?” Coulson said, in a panicky voice. “But I left them in my locker.”

“They were in your _locker?_ ” Tony exclaimed. “First he lies about making weapons of mass destruction, and now this? Are you sure he doesn't really have two eyes?”

“They were near mint, I kept them in protective sleeves, they were archival safe, and acid free,” Coulson said.

“Did you really die?”

“I did.”

“So what are you now? Like a ghost or something?”

“No, I'm alive,” Coulson said. “Living, breathing, and ready to take down the bad guys again.”

“Are you willing to start with Loki, because he's asleep upstairs.”

“Hey, don't pick on the kid,” Coulson said, pointing his finger at Stark. “He had a tough time, we had a good talk about it, got everything out in the open, and we're fine. He just wants to make up for what he did wrong now.”

“What, so you were in heaven having a cosy chat over a Coffee and Doughnuts?”

“I wasn't in heaven, I was in Valhalla, and they don't have Coffee. We were preparing for Ragnarok,” Coulson said. “Geez, I hope it doesn't happen before I get back. That would be _really_ embarrassing.”

Tony sat back in his chair and said, “You were in Valhalla?”

“I died in battle, where else would I go? Oh and don't suggest Fólkvangr, because that wasn't happening.”

“So you're back? You were dead, and now you're not.”

“Apparently so.”

“Er, and how did this happen?”

“Well it turns Odin presides over Valhalla, and Loki had a word with him, and here I am.”

The kitchen door swung open, and Thor entered loudly, followed by Loki.

“Son of Coul!” Thor proclaimed. “You have returned to us already! I thought father would make you wait. It is good to have you back.”

“Thor, it's good to be back,” Coulson replied, and then he nodded, and said, “Loki.”

Loki smiled shyly and said “I am glad to see you under better circumstances than our last meeting in Midgard, Agent Coulson.”

“That's ancient history. Forget about it, and I told you to call me Phil,” Coulson said, waving his hand.

“Tell me,” Loki asked, “did they treat you well in Valhalla?”

“Oh yes, the Einherjar were very nice,” Coulson replied. “I taught them a few new moves.”

"I can imagine," Loki said with a smile.

Tony watched as Coulson and Thor discussed Mead, traded stories, and told jokes that he didn't understand about the Valkyries, then his eyes were drawn to Loki, who had slumped at the other end of the table looking exhausted.

“How did you do it?” Tony asked. “How did you get Coulson out?”

“I traded some years off my lifespan for the years I robbed from him,” he replied.

“That's hardly a fair deal,” Tony snapped. “You're immortal.”

“I'm sure you humans appear immortal to a May fly too, but I can assure you that we do not live forever,” Loki replied, rubbing his forehead.

“You look unwell brother, would you like me to escort you back to your room?”

“I fear the life transfer has had more of an effect on me than I realised. I think I shall go lay down again, yes,” Loki replied, standing up. “I know the way back, you stay and continue your conversation, and I will find you later.”

As soon as Loki had closed the door Tony said, “Jarvis keep an eye on him and tell me if he so much as twitches his nose wrong.”

“As you wish sir,” the AI responded.

“Loki is not here to cause trouble, Stark. He is here to make up for all the wrong he did.”

“What exactly did you do to him back on Asgard, cos whatever that punishment was, it sure was a doozy,” Tony said.

“Punishment?” Thor asked looking slightly puzzled. “Loki was not punished. You think us so barbaric that we would punish those who are not of sound mind?”

“What?” Tony asked. “So what did you do with him?”

“We took him to see the mind healer,” Thor replied. “At first we had to tie him to his chair to stop him from fleeing, but we all talked for many, many hours, and there was much shouting and recriminations, and I am not ashamed to admit there were many tears too. Then we all went on a quest together.”

“A quest?”

“Aye, Mother, Father, Loki and myself, we made camp in the hills, we sang songs, we drank, we told stories, and we hunted for many moons. It was a magnificent time!”

“Wait so he invaded earth, killed the king of another planet, tried to kill you more than once, and you took him on _vacation?_ ”

“You think someone who was unwell would be made better by being locked in the dungeons? What kind of people do you believe the Aesir are?” Thor asked, looking more than a little pissed off. “Loki confessed that he felt jealous and angry, and wanted to hurt everyone, because he felt worthless and did not feel loved. It is up to us now to show him that he is valued in every way.”

“So you gave him a hug and that basically gave him a personality transplant, is that what you're saying?”

“Loki is in the early stages of healing his mind, he is still very unsure of himself. He needs time, we must have patience with him as he finds his place in the world again.”

“You can have all the patience you want,” Tony said, standing up and heading for the door, “but I'll never trust him.”

As Tony slammed the door behind him, Thor said, “I fear this may be harder than I imagined.”

“They'll come round,” Coulson said, and then added, “By the way, do you know what happened to my trading cards?”  
  
  
  
  
Coulson had been subjected to DNA and detailed psychological testing. He passed lie detector tests with flying colours, and the Avengers were finally forced to believe that this really was Agent Phil Coulson of SHIELD who was arguing for Loki to be given probationary status in the Avengers.

“But he KILLED you,” Fury said, leaning on the table.

“And out of all of us who were effected by his actions it should be me who would find it hardest to forgive him, but I have. I think Loki would be a great asset to the team.”

“I don't want to work with him,” Clint said. “After what he did to me, I could never trust him.”

“My brother has many skills that would aid us on the battlefield,” Thor said. “If you do not allow him to make reparations to the people of this realm by aiding you I fear the people of Asgard would call for him to be executed.”

“You have the death sentence on Asgard?” Steve asked.

“Only for those who refuse to repay the victims of their crimes, and since Loki does not have enough years to exchange to bring back the other people he had a hand in killing, the All-Father has decreed that payment must be made by saving a life for every one he ended.”

“So if we don't let Loki join us he'll be killed?”

“Yes, this is correct.”

“I vote we let him help us,” Bruce said, from the back of the room.

“What?” Clint snapped.

“I've seen too much death lately to be comfortable with another one on my conscience, no matter who it is,” Banner replied.

“I vote yes as well,” Steve said.

“Me too,” Tony said, and Clint glared at him. “Ah don't look at me like that. Given a choice of having him with or against us, I'd rather have him on our side.”

“What say you, Fury?” Thor asked. “Now that most are agreeable to my brother joining the team, will you give him your approval?”

Fury sighed and said, “Yes, on a probationary basis, but if he puts one foot, one _toe_ , out of line, he is out of here so fast being Hulk smashed will feel like a walk in the park.”

“Excellent!” Thor said, as he stood. “Come, Coulson, we shall tell my brother the good news together.”

Everyone watched as Thor and Coulson left the room, and as soon as the door shut the argument erupted.

“Really Tony? _Really?_ ” Natasha shouted. “How could you do that after everything he's done? He threw you out of a _window_ , or have you forgotten that already?”

“Will you give me a minute to explain?” Tony shouted back at her. “You really think I want to work with HIM?”

“Then why the hell did you say yes?” Clint snapped.

“If he thinks he's one of the team it'll give me a chance to investigate how his magic works, so _when_ he turns evil again we'll have some kind of defence against it.”

“Ooohhhh… I like _that_ plan,” Natasha said.

“You think you could do that, Stark?” Fury asked. “You could develop a weapon to use against him?”

“Given enough time, and if he lets me run a few scans on him, I think I can, yes,” Tony replied.

“Get started on it straight away,” Fury said. “Make this your number one priority.”

“Will do, boss,” Tony replied.  
  
  
  
  
“Brother, we have good news,” Thor said as he and Coulson entered Loki's sparse room.

“What is it?”

“You are now an Avenger.”

“I am?” Loki asked, smiling brightly.

“ _Probationary_ Avenger,” Coulson corrected. “You'll have to prove you're up to the job, and not about to turn evil again, before you get full Avenger status.”

“When they see what you can do on the battlefield brother,” Thor said, “they will welcome you as a team mate and a comrade.”

Loki walked to the desk and took out some thick parchment paper he had brought from Asgard, and laid a quill and ink on the top of the desk. He said a simple spell and then pressed a sheet against the wall, where it stuck fast.

“What is this for?” Thor asked.

“I thought it would be nice to know how far I have come,” Loki said. “When I save a life I can place a mark on the paper. It would be nice to know when I have saved more lives than I have taken.”

“That is an excellent idea,” Thor said wrapping his arm round Loki's shoulder.

“Let's get you started on this shall we?” Coulson said, picking up the quill. “You brought me back to life, so I think that counts as one.”

Loki watched as Coulson drew a single line in the left hand corner of the extremely large sheet of paper, and looked forward to the day when it would be filled.

 


	2. There is no 'Loki' in team

Loki did his best to fit in with the hectic lifestyle of his new home, but he frequently found it overwhelming to be around so many people at once. There was always something happening, whether it was training, games to be played, or large communal dinners in the kitchen, and in many ways it reminded him of the life he had left behind on Asgard.

Loki found Midgardian slang words baffling, and sometimes found it hard to follow the fast moving chatter of his new companions, but he soon deduced that many of their conversations revolved around caustic barbs at each others expense, and while he had many amusing taunts he could add to the banter, he wasn't sure they would be appreciated just yet.

While The Avengers were civil to Loki, it seemed that only Coulson and Thor had any real time for him, and when Coulson had suddenly been called away to deal with some impending crisis in Wakanda, Loki had found himself left with only his brother for company. Thor did his best to keep him occupied, inviting him to spar, for pleasant walks in a nearby park, and to play Midgardian games that neither of them quite understood the rules of, but he frequently found himself longing to be accepted by the others.

The Avengers had their own small cliques among the larger group, and it appeared that he was unwelcome to join them. When Loki walked into a room without his brother at his side, the bright conversation he had heard through the open doorway always ground to a halt, and people found they suddenly had things to do in other parts of the building.

 

Loki had been surprised when Stark had invited him down to his workshop one night, and asked him to perform a few simple spells, but he was overjoyed at the opportunity to spend some time with another member of the group, and hoped this would mark the start of his acceptance.

Tony didn't ask him to do anything too impressive, a few flames, the defensive spell he used to deflect projectile weapons, conjuring a knife from the air, and then he announced that he had drank too much the night before and was getting an early night. Loki left the lab, and went back upstairs, then spent an hour in the kitchen eating a few pieces of fruit while he read a newspaper that Bruce had left on the table. As he walked back to his quarters he dejectedly noticed that Stark's door was ajar, the lights were out, and the bed was empty.

Finally the day came when they received a call to say their help was needed to deal with an invasion of robotic men that were tearing up 5th Avenue and Loki breathed a sigh of relief. At last he would be able to show them what he was capable of.

  
  
“Clint, I want you up high on that building opposite, Natasha you go with him, keep these things off his back,” Steve said, as they stood in the street, watching robotic men disembark onto the flat roof on a skyscraper, and clamber down its sides. “Thor, I want you and Hulk up front dealing with them as they come down. Tony, you get airborne and disable that ship. I'll help the police get the civilians to safety.”

“What should I do?” Loki asked, as the Avengers disappeared to take up their respective roles.

“Oh,” Steve said. “You stay here. If any of them get past Thor and Hulk, take care of them.”

Loki nodded cheerfully, pleased to have a task, but 30 minutes later the sounds of battle had ceased, the robot ship lay destroyed in Central park, and Loki stood alone in the empty street. No enemies had made it down to his position, and as sheets of loose paper blew past him on the breeze he sat down on the kerb to wait to be collected without having saved a single life.

  
  
Two weeks later they received a call that a scientist had built a device that was intended to transport matter from one pod to another, but had started transporting creatures from another dimension instead, and they were currently running round a college building terrorising the students as they tried to flee.

“The building has already been evacuated,” Steve said, as they stood outside the college.

“Tony, I want you and Bruce working on switching that machine off. Hawkeye, Widow, I want you going from room to room, kill them when you find them. Thor you're with me, we'll try to contain the new ones as they come through.”

“And I?” Loki asked, anxious to help.

“You wait out here, if any of the creatures get through the perimeter, finish them.”

“All right,” Loki said, then he watched the others run inside the building and leave him alone outside.

 

An hour later light no longer poured from the upper windows of the buildings, and Loki determined that the machine had been shut down. He wondered if he should go inside the building to help clear out the last of the creatures, but he feared deserting his given role would lead the others to believe he was incapable of following orders, so instead he stood on the path outside the building, prepared for battle.

Back on the Quinjet, as they flew towards Stark Tower, the Avengers laughed and told stories of their exploits that day, and Thor had a nagging feeling that he had forgotten something important.  
  
  
  
“You left me there!” Loki shouted. “You all left me there in the street like a common vagabond!”

“I'm sorry, I was distracted," Thor said. "It was a great battle."

“I wouldn't know would I?” Loki shrieked. “I wasn't allowed to join in!"

Thor watched as Loki stamped to his room, ripped the door open and said, "Don't be expecting a kind word from me tonight because I have none," before slamming the door dramatically behind him.

Loki didn't join the Avengers for dinner that night, and when Thor entered his room later, and found him curled up in bed, he had no idea what to do. Loki had turned over and stiffly accepted his hug, but offered no thanks.

“Things will get better, Loki, I promise,” Thor said.

“You should not promise things you have no hope of delivering, brother,” Loki replied, then he turned away, and pulled the covers back over himself.  
  
  
  
Loki stopped attending the communal meals after that day, claiming he had already eaten or he wasn't hungry. He spent his time in his room reading old books he had brought from Asgard, and would only leave when Thor had forcibly dragged him down to the training room to spar.

Thor tentatively knocked on Loki's bedroom one evening, after vanquishing a foe that had threatened the city, and while the Avengers were all gathered in the kitchen drinking beer and telling stories of their feats of courage, he had longed for his brother's company.

“Come in.”

Thor entered the room nervously, and found Loki sat in his bed, his bare feet resting outside the sheets, and a book propped up on his knees.

“Are you still feeling unwell brother?” Thor asked, as he entered the room. “I missed you in battle today.”

“It appears you managed well enough without me,” Loki said, as whoops of excitement and loud music echoed down the corridor from the floor below.

“What happened to your chart?” Thor asked, noticing that the sheet of paper with a single line that Loki had attached to the wall was now lying on top of the desk, folded neatly.

“I have no need of it,” Loki replied. “It's clear that my efforts to help here are being rejected."

"They will accept you in time."

"I'm thinking of going back to Asgard,” Loki said quietly.

“You jest,” Thor exclaimed. “Your place is here, with me, by my side.”

“Mother and father will take care of me well enough. I can continue my recovery there.”

“But… I would miss you.”

“And I you,” Loki sighed, closing his book, “but this realm does not suit me well, it is full of temptation, and I have no wish to be unwell again. You'll be fine without me.”

“Please do not make any rash decisions yet, brother,” Thor pleaded. “Give it a little more time."

“I will wait a few days,” Loki replied, “but no more.”  
  
  
  
“Thor?” Clint said, as he poked his head into the bedroom. “Are you awake?”

Thor rubbed his face, and squinted his eyes at the bright light coming from the hallway. He looked at the clock by his bed, it was after 1am, but no alarms were sounding so it could not be an emergency. “What is it?”

“Loki's drunk. I think you need to put him to bed.”  
  
  
“Leave me _aloneeeee_ ,” Loki whined, his hand still tightly clutched round the empty Vodka bottle, as Thor turned him onto his back.

“You must go to bed, brother,” Thor said, as he grabbed Loki's arm again.

“I will sleep here.”

“You can't, you are blocking the corridor,” Thor said, then he realised that Barton must have stepped over Loki to get to his room, rather than helping him up. He prised the vodka from Loki's fingers, and stood it by the wall, then pulled him into a sitting position.

“I think I might be a _little_ bit intoxicated,” Loki sniggered, his eyes roving drunkenly round the passageway. “Don't tell Thor. He will be most upset with me.”

“Brother,” Thor said, putting his hand on Loki's chin and trying to get his bleary eyes to focus on him, “Why have you drank so much? It is most unlike you.”

Loki's eyes wandered round Thor's face for a second, then his face crumpled, and he said, “I've been trying all my life to make _your_ friends like me, but they never do. It's much easier to make people hate me. At least when people hated me, they didn't forget I was there.”

Thor pulled Loki into a hug, and said, "I will find a way to help, brother, I promise I will."  
  
  
  
  
“I won't do it!” Loki shouted, as he sat on his bed and pouted. “Why should I?”

“Stop acting like a child,” Thor replied. “Father has requested our presence, and it would be ill mannered to refuse after all the chances he has given you.”

“Use the tesseract then, I'm not taking them!” Loki said as he flopped to his side, burying his face in his pillow. “I said _I_ was going back to Asgard, I do not want _them_ there as well!”

“The tesseract is with the men of science,” Thor said, as he moved across the room and perched on the edge of Loki's bed. “They would lose valuable time to study it, and you could take us just as well.”

“So that's what I am reduced to?” Loki said, looking up from his pillow with a tear stained face. “A mode of transport? I'm a _horse_ again?”

“Brother, that is most unfair,” Thor said. “I only tried to ride you once, and I did apologise for that.”

“I wasn't bothered that you drunkenly climbed upon my back, it was when you invited Volstagg to join you that upset me!” Loki shouted then buried his face in the pillow again. “They all hate me, and I'm tired of trying to get them to think otherwise."

“They _do_ like you.”

“No they don't!” Loki snapped, his head flying back up again. “I have seen the way they look at me. They do not trust me, and they never will.”

“You must give them a chance,” Thor said. “It is not long ago that you were trying to rule this world. Tony likes you.”

“Stark only likes that I can create ice cubes for his scotch on demand.”

“You just need an opportunity to prove yourself, Loki,” Thor said with a frown, hating to see his brother so upset when he was trying so hard. “When that happens, when you show them that you are a mighty warrior who can be relied upon in battle, they will learn to trust you as I do. Perhaps on this trip they will see you in a new light.”

Loki considered Thor's words for a moment.  If he could get the Avengers away, to a place where they would have no choice but to rely on his knowledge, skills and could see him in action, then maybe they might realise that he could be relied upon next time there was a crisis on Midgard, and he would finally be able to start paying back for the wrongs he had committed.  
  
"All right, I'll do it,” he replied.  
  
  
  
  
“We're going to Asgard?” Tony asked.

“Aye, my mother appeared to me in a vision last night and said our father has requested your presence. It would be a grave insult if you did not attend,” Thor said. “We must leave immediately. My brother will take us there through the secret paths.”

“Secret paths?” Natasha asked.

“Cracks between the realms,” Loki said. “I can navigate them through the use of magic.”

“Is it dangerous?” Clint asked.

“It is not without risk,” Loki stated, “but I am well versed in their use so it shall be minimal.”

“I'd like to see Asgard,” Tony said. “Coulson raves about the Mead.”

“It would be useful to forge better links with Odin I guess,” Steve said. “Who knows, one day we might need his help.”

“An excellent point, my friend,” Thor said. “Are we all in agreement?”

“I guess we suit up,” Steve said. “Where do we leave from? The desert or something?”

“When you are prepared I suggest we assemble in Stark's bedroom,” Loki replied.

“Er, why my room?” Tony asked.

“Because as the most vain member of the group you possess the largest mirror,” Loki replied dryly.  
  
  
  
  
Half an hour later everyone was stood in Tony's bedroom in front of the large floor to ceiling mirrored panel that graced his wall.

“So were going _through_ the mirror?” Clint asked, and Loki nodded.

“I'm starting to wonder if Lewis Carroll came from Asgard now,” Steve asked.

“Don't be ridiculous,” Loki said. “For your information, his real name was Charles. He was a lovely man, but he was not Asgardian.”

“You knew Lewis Carroll?” Steve asked out of pure shock.

“We had many fine adventures together,” Loki said, then he turned, and said, “Who do you think the Cheshire cat is based on?”

“Are we ready?” Thor asked, and everyone nodded. “What do you need us to do?”

“Everyone must hold hands,” Loki said. “It must be skin on skin contact, so I recommend removing your glove, Stark.”

Tony removed one glove of his suit, and then everyone held hands in one snaking line, with Loki at the head of it.

“When we enter the path I would suggest closing your eyes,” Loki said, taking a few deep breaths in preparation.

“Why?” Tony asked.

“You may not like what you will see.”

“Ohhh… is it like that bit in _The Empire Strikes Back_ where you see the thing you fear most?”

“No, it's nothing.”

“Well, if it's nothing what's there to be scared of?”

“It's _nothing_. Actual NOTHING,” Loki said. “I doubt your mortal brains would be able to cope with the absence of all things, and I will warn you, if you do open your eyes do NOT look down. Traversing the secret pathways is based on the belief that you are walking on solid ground, and if you lose that belief and start to fall, you will not stop.”

“Got it. Looking down, very bad.”

“Let us begin,” Loki said, as he took hold of Thor's hand, then placed his free hand against the glass of the mirror. He moved it round in a circle, muttering words under his breath, and then pushed his fingertips through the reflective surface. He began to edge forward, dragging the Avengers behind him.


	3. T.E.A.M = Together Everyone Achieves More

Tony was the first to open his eyes, then quickly shut them again when he realised Loki hadn't been joking when he said there would be nothing, and he tried not to think about the fact that he couldn't hear a single shuffling footstep simply because there was nothing under his feet.

“How the hell do you know where you're going?” Tony asked.

“Shut up!” Natasha said. "Let him concentrate."

There was silence for a while, as they continued moving onwards, and then Thor asked, “When you fell from the Bifrost, is this where you were brother?”

“Yes,” Loki replied. “It took me a long time to find a way out.”

“How long were you in here?” Bruce asked.

“In Midgard terms, about a month.”

“You spent a MONTH in here?” Clint asked.

“Yes,” Loki snapped, annoyed at the constant interruptions.

“Sheeesh,” Clint said, “no wonder you went nuts.”

Loki paused, and shot Clint a poisonous glance, even though he couldn't see it in the dark, and said, “I should remind you, that if I lose concentration, become distressed or upset in any way I might end up dropping someone. Completely by accident, of course.”

“Point taken,” Clint replied, and everyone kept their mouth shut for the rest of the journey.

 

They squinted at the bright sunlight as they poured out of the secret pathway from the highly polished surface of a piece of black volcanic stone, and stumbled across the ground.

“Asgard looks kinda different to how I expected,” Steve said, looking around at the lush green forest that stood to one side of them, and the vast grassy plain that extended towards the horizon on the other side.

“You have brought us to Alfheim, brother?” Thor asked, as Loki sat on the ground.

“I needed to rest,” Loki said. “Transporting one person across the realms is difficult. Transporting seven at once is near impossible.”

“We are not in a hurry, rest well brother,” Thor said, as he sat down on the grass beside him. “It has been a long time since we have been here. Do you remember when we captured a Gullinborsti and presented it to father?”

“I remember when you fell out of a tree, and landed on your face in the mud,” Loki said with a snorting laugh.

“Aye, that was a great day,” Thor sighed wistfully, “and father was impressed with his prize.”

“Perhaps we should take him a gift this time?” Loki asked. “It would certainly raise the standing of the Avengers in Asgard.”

“That is an excellent idea,” Thor said.

“It would be unwise to arrive without a gift for the All Father,” Loki said to Steve. “This is your first visit to Asgard, and it is customary to bring a tribute.”

“My brother is correct,” Thor announced to the group. “Heroes you may be, but in the eyes of Asgard you are mere mortals. If you arrive with a handsome prize the people will treat you as the warriors you are.”

“You should have said something before we left, I could have bought him a toaster,” Tony said.

“A toaster is hardly a fitting gift for a King,” Loki said scathingly. “Your gift is judged upon the danger of acquiring it, the adventure of your quest, and I hardly think going to the store has much danger.”

“If Tony's driving even a trip to the store can be a life threatening experience,” Clint said.

“Hey!” Tony exclaimed.

“What gift should we bring?” Bruce asked.

“A Battleswine?” Thor asked.

Loki shook his head, and said, “Too easy. What about a Lindworm?”

“It's a little chilly to go swimming, isn't it?”

“Hmmm, perhaps a little,” Loki replied. “Oh! What about a Fire Drake? I'm sure father could make good use of a Fire Drake.”

“Fire Drake?” Natasha asked. “That sounds kinda dangerous.”

“What would be the point of a quest if it was easy?” Loki asked.

“A Fire Drake would be a tribute worthy of the Avengers!” Thor proclaimed, as he stood, and pulled Loki to his feet. “My friends, we must go to Hvergelmir and catch a monstrous fire breathing, venomous beast!”

“Whose idea was it to go on this trip again?” Clint asked, as he glared at Steve and Tony.

 

“Is this Hverwhatever?” Natasha asked, as they emerged from a shining rock by a huge waterfall.

“This is Vanaheim,” Loki said, “but if we are to catch a Fire Drake we must gather supplies first.”

“Aye, we must collect the leaves of the Colfa tree,” Thor said. “Fire Drakes find them irresistible. It will make one far easier to catch.”

“Can't Tony just fly to get them, then bring them back?” Clint asked.

“Oh man, I just took my suit off!” Tony said, now dressed in jeans and a T Shirt, and holding the silver and red suitcase in his hands.

“Really, Agent Barton?” Loki asked. “What part of ‘epic quest’ do you not understand?”

“It's just, it's a long way to go if you're thinking of heading towards those trees over there.”

“It will take no more than an hour,” Loki said, and then he raised an eyebrow. “Although if you are suggesting you might be too slow or weak to keep up, then perhaps you should stay here.”

“Slow?” Clint asked. “I'm faster on my feet than you, Prancer.”

“Really?” Loki sneered. “Care to wager something on that?”

“You betcha,” Clint said. “When I win you can do all my laundry for a month.”

“Two months,” Loki said, “and I want my boots oiled once a week.”

“Deal.”

“Very well,” Loki replied.

Clint set off at a quick pace, alternating between jogging, and walking, while Loki kept his strides steady and loping, his long legs quickly carrying him over the rough terrain.

“Are you not worried Clint will beat you brother?” Thor asked, a long while later, as he kept pace at Loki's side.

“Have you ever heard the Midgardian tale of the Tortoise and the Hare?”

“No, I have not.”

“Well keep watching, you are about to see it in live action,” Loki said, as Clint, almost a speck in the distance, stopped and bent over to get his breath back.

 

“I thought you said this would take an hour,” Clint said, as he sat on the ground, struggling to get his breath back, when Loki and the Avengers approached, some 2 hours into their trek.

“Oh, I'm sorry Agent Barton, I must have misjudged the distance,” Loki said, striding past him. “I do hope you're well versed in the care of leather.”

Natasha helped Clint to his feet, and they walked the final mile together, but as they approached the tree line Loki paused, and raised his hand.

“What's up?” Tony asked. “Sense a disturbance in the force?”

“Something's coming,” Loki said. “Don't you feel that?”

“Aye, perhaps we should go another way,” Thor replied.

“I don't feel anything,” Tony said, and then the ground began to tremble slightly under his feet.

“Is that an earthquake?” Steve asked.

“Technically wouldn't it be a Vanaheimshake?” Bruce asked.

“That sounds like the _least_ appetising thing on the menu at the worlds worst Dairy Queen,” Tony said.

The ground began to move more violently, and a low rumbling sound began to echo round the valley.  The tops of the trees further back in the forest at the brow of the slope began to sway violently.

Loki smiled at Thor, then turned on his heels and took off down the hill, then he shouted over his shoulder, “Now might be a good time to start running!”

“What's going on?” Natasha asked.

Thor bellowed with laughter as he started to run, throwing his arms in the air with excitement, and shouting, “BILGESNIPPPPEEEEE!”

“What?” Natasha yelled, and then a colossal scaly creature burst out of the forest, shaking its head to remove the twigs and branches that were caught in its gigantic antlers as it ran down the hillside.

“RUN!” Steve shouted, as four more of the huge dinosaur like animals came flying out of the trees and headed straight for them. Natasha and Clint took off, following Steve down the hill, as Thor and Loki ran ahead of him.

“Tony, come on!” Bruce shouted as he ran, then he looked over his shoulder and saw Tony sprinting down the hill, his hands in the side of the suitcase, the armour trying to fit itself over his body as he moved.

 

Thor and Loki shrieked with laughter as they barrelled down the hillside, and then Loki spied a rocky outcrop that was large enough to shelter them all.

“Here!” Loki shouted, pointing to the rocks. “Get behind this!”

Loki ran over the outcrop and jumped behind it, he was quickly followed by Thor, Steve, Natasha, and then an out of breath Clint crashed down beside them.

Thor laughed as he grabbed Loki in a bear hug, and said, “My friends! Have you ever felt more alive?”

Clint laughed and said, “I doubt I'll be alive for much longer. I feel like I'm about to have a heart attack.”

“Where are Tony and Bruce?” Steve asked. “What the hell are they doing?”

They poked their head above the outcrop and watched as Tony ran down the hill shrieking, half his body covered in the Iron Man suit, while the legs flailed about as he darted sideways out of the path of the first Bilgesnipe which was tearing down the valley.

“We must help them,” Thor shouted, then Loki grabbed his arm and pulled him back down as the Bilgesnipe thundered over them, launching itself over the outcrop and landing behind them so hard it shook the rocks loose.

The four remaining Bilgesnipe that were running down the hill were coming down in a line, and as Tony tripped and fell, dragging Bruce with him, it seemed there would be no escape for them.

The Avengers jumped up from behind the rocks, and Thor sent Mjolnir flying towards the Bilgesnipe, knocking one of the lumbering creatures to its side. Hawkeye loosed a volley of arrows, and Steve threw his shield as hard as he could, but three of the creatures were still coming down the hillside towards Bruce and Tony who still lay helpless on the ground, but then Bruce started moving, and roaring, transforming as he stood.

“Oh crap,” Clint said, as the Hulk leapt up and launched itself at the nearest Bilgesnipe, the smallest of the group, as the others continued to run.

“No-N-No!” Loki shouted. “Not that one! Don't attack that one!”

“What?” Steve said, as the Hulk smashed his fist into the head of the creature, and knocked it unconscious.

“That one is the infant of the group,” Loki said, as the Bilgesnipe that had passed them and continued down the hill, turned back, pawed at the ground angrily, and started to bellow. “Bilgesnipe are ferociously protective parents.”

“We need to get Tony out of there,” Steve said, as the largest Bilgesnipe began running back towards them with a trumpeting call.

“You distract the others, I'll get Tony,” Loki shouted.

Thor called Mjolnir back to his hand, then launched himself towards the Bilgesnipe that was running back up the hill, landing on its head, and raining blows down onto its skull. It started to thrash, attempting to dislodge him, but he held fast, gripping onto its antlers as it shook its head.

Steve, Clint and Natasha started attacking one of the creatures, while the Hulk had thrown itself onto the back of another, and Loki darted between their legs until he reached Tony.

“I believe you require some assistance?” Loki asked, as the infant Bilgesnipe climbed drunkenly to its feet behind him.

“What took you so long?” Tony said, still trying to straighten out the pieces of his armour that were wrapped round his legs.

“BROTHER, LOOK OUT!” Loki heard Thor scream across the battlefield, and then he looked up.

The Hulk was on the head of one of the Bilgesnipe, pulling its antlers to the side, causing the creature to rear up on its back legs, then stagger uselessly across the rolling grassy slope.

“No!” Thor cried, as the creature came crashing down on its side, landing with a deafening thud on the very spot where Tony and Loki were crouching.

Thor howled with anger, threw himself to the ground, raised Mjolnir to the sky, and called down lightning.

The creatures screamed in fear as the air crackled with electricity, scattering across the field, as they ran blindly in terror, and as the downed Bilgesnipe thrashed its legs, and climbed to its feet, then ran to join its group, it revealed Loki, his body thrown across Tony as the creature fell.

“Compromising position,” Tony said, patting Loki on the shoulder. “You might wanna get off me now.”

“Sorry,” Loki said, as he sat back up on his knees.

“How the hell did you do that?” Clint asked, as he reached their side. “That thing dropped right on top of you.”

“Magic has many uses, Agent Barton,” Loki said. “A simple deflection spell can be widened to encompass more than one person.”

“Whoa, so you could put like a personal shield round all of us?”

“At the moment it works by touch, but I believe given enough practise and study I would widen its scope, yes.”

“Good to know,” Clint said.

“Isn't anyone going to ask how I am?” Tony said. “I just got crushed by a giant _thing_ , and no one cares how I am?”

“I believe the fact that you are whining indicates that you are well,” Loki said, then Clint laughed, and slapped him on the back.

“What happened?” Bruce asked, as he sat up, shirtless, and pink and back to his usual size.

“You just punched out a dinosaur with antlers,” Tony replied.

“I did?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool.”

“Brother!” Thor bellowed, as he approached. “You are well, and you have saved Tony's life. What a great day this is. We must find a tavern to celebrate!”

“A tavern?” Steve asked. “Is that really a good idea?”

“We must collect the leaves first,” Loki said. “My magic is exhausted from creating the shield. I would not be able to transport us to another realm for many hours and it's getting late.”

“There is a settlement on the other side of the forest where we would find lodgings,” Thor said. “Come my friends. We will show you the way, then we shall eat, and drink, and wrestle in the streets!”

 

“Does it annoy you that your clothes tear when you transform?” Loki asked as they trudged down a wide path in the forest.

“Ehhh… I get a big clothing budget,” Bruce said, tugging at the jacket that Clint had lent him, which was far too short. “It's annoying when it's something I really love. I had a T-shirt that I wore under my graduation robes when I finished college. Ended up as nothing more than rags hanging round my neck.”

“Perhaps I could help you.”

“So as well as an evil super villain, you're a seamstress now too?” Natasha asked.

" _Former_ evil super villain," Loki corrected.

“I'm surprised you don't have a fear of needles and thread after the whole mouth sewing business,” Tony said, carrying his armour back it's suitcase form.

Loki rolled his eyes at Tony and said “It's not like a sewed my mouth shut myself, that was Thor.”

“You sewed your own brothers mouth shut?” Steve asked.

“He lost a wager,” Thor retorted. “He deserved it anyway.”

“For what?”

“For the time he tricked me into wearing a wedding dress,” Thor said, and Loki cackled behind him.

“What?” Tony asked, as he stumbled over a tree root, and clutched his suitcase to his chest.

“It is not important,” Thor grumbled in response.

“Man, when we get home I am so buying a book on Norse myths because this shit is gold.”

“Most of those myths are falsehoods,” Thor said. "Do not believe everything you read about me."

“And many of them are not,” Loki said. “Like that time you lost a wrestling match to an old woman.”

“Shut up, or I'll tell them the tale of what you did with the beard of a goat,” Thor said, and Loki snapped his mouth shut, shooting his brother an evil look.

“What I was actually going to suggest before I was _rudely_ interrupted,” Loki continued, “was that I enchant your clothing so that when you transform it grows with you.”

“We have a form of enchantment like that too,” Tony said.

“You do?” Loki enquired.

“Yeah, it's called Lycra.”

“You must teach me this Lycra, I have never heard of this magic,” Loki said, as Clint and Natasha stifled giggles. Loki looked at them, wide eyed and confused, and said, “What?”

“Hey, don't be mean” Steve said, then he turned to Tony and said, “He saved your life today, and you never even said thank you.”

“Sorry,” Tony said, lowering his head. “Thanks for stopping me getting squished.”

“You're welcome,” Loki replied, allowing himself a small smile.

His plan was working.

 


	4. Less me, more we.

 

“Why do I have to carry everything?” Tony asked, as he juggled his armour suitcase under one arm, and a bundle of freshly sprouted Colfa twigs that they had gathered in the forest, under the other.

“Oh hush, peon,” Loki said. “We are almost there.”

“Yeah, you tell him," Natasha said. "After the trouble he's caused today, he's lucky he didn't get dumped in a volcano.”

The path was well worn now, and as they rounded the corner, they spotted smoking chimneys in the distance as the trees began to thin out.

“Not far now my friends,” Thor said. “We shall feast, and drink our fill of Mead soon enough.”

  
  
The village was small, a few stone houses, wooden shacks, and pens filled with horses and ancient looking hairy pigs, but at it's centre stood a building filled with light and the sounds of cheerful voices.

“Don't you think I'm going to stand out a bit?” Steve asked, waving his hand down at his Captain America suit.

“This is a travellers tavern,” Loki said. “They are well used to strange sights, and visitors from other realms.”

“Are you sure?”

Loki stopped and said, “Do you wish to be hungry, thirsty and spend the night in a boar shed?”

“Not really.”

“Then I suggest you come inside.”  
  


Thor pushed the large wooden doors open, and as the Avengers entered no one even gave them a second glance. The room was filled with wooden tables, and benches, all lined with what Steve could only describe as Vikings, and strange creatures.

“I feel like I walked into Lord Of The Rings,” Bruce said. “Is that an _elf?_ ”

“Elves, Trolls, giants,” Loki said. “Everyone is welcome here.”

“We have nothing to trade brother, how do you suggest we pay for a bed?” Thor asked.

“I'm not selling my body,” Tony quipped, and then he eyed Loki, “and I doubt we'd get more than one drink for yours.”

Loki rolled his eyes, and said, “Fear not, I have an idea.”

In the corner where a Dwarf and a Troll sat, their table full of coins, and the Avengers followed as Loki moved over to them.

“Gentlemen, is this an open game?”

The Dwarf looked up at him, and replied gruffly, “If you have coin or trading goods all are welcome.”

“I'm afraid I have no coin, but I do have in my possession the greatest bow and shield in all the nine realms,” then he turned to Clint, and Steve and held his hands out.

“Absolutely NO WAY,” Clint replied, clutching his bow possessively.

“Trust me,” Loki replied quietly. “I will not lose.”

“My brother never loses at games,” Thor said. “He is very skilled.”

“If you lose I will never forgive you,” Clint said, reluctantly holding out his bow.

“I assure you, I will not.” Loki replied, and then he held his hand out to Steve.

“You better be right about this, Thor,” Steve said as he handed Loki his shield.

Loki handed over the bow and shield to the troll, who inspected them thoroughly, and said, “You're in.”

“Excellent,” Loki replied, pulling out a chair, and sitting down, as the Avengers gathered behind him to watch.

The dwarf dealt the cards between the three players, and the game began.

“How does this work?” Clint asked Thor.

“The aim is to lay the highest card, if you do not have a higher card or one of equal value, you must pick up all the cards on the table. The player who is the first with no cards takes the spoils.”

“And he's good at this?” Clint asked, as they began to lay cards on the table.

“My brother will not fail,” Thor said. “Although I confess he has not played this game often.”

“Duelling ponies,” the dwarf said, with a grin as he laid a card upon the table.

Loki looked furtively at his hand, grimacing slightly, then he laid a card, and said “Mead producing goat.”

Thor groaned as Loki picked up the cards on the table, and Clint twitched nervously.

“I think you're about to be shieldless,” Tony said.

“I thought you said he was good at this?” Steve said.

“My brother is a great tactician,” Thor said. “Trust me, he will not lose.”

The game continued, with the dwarf and the troll being forced to pick up a small number of cards twice, and Loki once more, but soon there was a huge stack of cards on the table, and each player held only a small amount.

“Battle Boar.”

“Shore of corpses.”

“Sleipnir,” Loki said with a grin, rubbing his finger lightly over the picture on the card as he laid it.

“Grim skeleton.”

“Nidhogg.”

“Idunn's apples.”

“Lindworm.”

“Rampant Bilgesnipe.”

“Fjalar, the crowing rooster,” Loki said, as he laid his penultimate card, and Clint grabbed hold of the edge of Thor's cape and pulled it up till it was covering his face.

“God of Thunder,” the dwarf said with in a grin, and Thor stifled a laugh at the picture on the card that bore almost no resemblance to him.

The dwarf smiled, he had two cards left, and the crowd gasped as he laid his card, and said, “Odin All-Father.”

Thor's head dropped as he saw the card, and Steve said, “What? Has he lost?”

“It is the highest card in the pack,” Thor replied.

Loki looked at his last card, a grin pulling at the edge of his mouth, and then he laid it on the pile, and said, “Loki.”

“What?” the dwarf shouted.

“And I declare my card Odin All Father.”

“What happened? Did he win?” Tony asked, fisting his hands excitedly in Clint's jacket.

“The Loki card can imitate any other card in the pack my friends,” Thor said. “We are victorious!”

“Yes!” Clint shouted, and ripped his bow back off the table, cradling it to his chest, as Tony and Bruce high-fived, and hugged each other, then put their hands on Loki's shoulders and shook him in congratulation.

“I believe this is ours,” Loki said, putting his arms around the coins that lay on the table, and dragging them towards him.

“NOT SO FAST!” The troll shouted as it slammed its hand down on the table.

“Excuse me?” Loki said.

“Shenanigans!”

“How dare you!” Loki exclaimed. “I won fairly, how dare you suggest otherwise.”

“I know you cheated!” The troll spat, and then it raised its massive fist, and punched Loki squarely in the face, sending him flying backwards off his chair and into the Avengers who toppled like bowling pins.

As everyone climbed to their feet a Giant grabbed Thor by the shoulder, and spun him round.

“You spilled my drink!” it shrieked, then whacked him in the face with its enormous fist, sending him flying across the room, crashing into another table, and knocking the drinks of a group of elves sloshing into their faces.

The tavern erupted in screams and shouts, as troll punched elf, elf punched dwarf, and centuries old scores bubbled to the surface, leaving the Avengers in the middle of a battle zone.

Tony threw his suitcase on the floor, popped it with his foot, then jammed his hands into the gloves. The armour, started wrapping itself round his arms, he held it to his chest, then it started making a grinding sound, as the gears whined, and finally shuddered to a halt.

“Still not fixed! Still not fixed!” Tony shouted, and then wheeled his arms round, still half inside the armour, into the face of a troll, and knocked it onto its back.

“That was a very bad idea,” The troll said as it climbed to its feet, and raised its fist, preparing to strike Tony who was still desperately trying to extricate himself from the gloves of his armour.

“Pick on someone your own size,” Steve said, whacking the troll full in the face with his shield, and knocking the creature flying to the other side of the room.

“Thanks, man,” Tony said, finally wrestling his arms free from the gloves.

“Maybe you should sit this one out if your armour is out of commission,” Steve said, as he ducked to avoid a flying tankard.

“Good idea,” Tony said.  
  


Across the other side of the room Clint and Natasha fought back to back, fending off trolls, elves, and something with a furry face and a beak that they wouldn't quite identify.

“You know what this reminds me of?” Natasha asked, as she flipped an elf onto its back.

“If you say Budapest I'm definitely going to start questioning whether you were on drugs during that mission,” Clint replied, as he delivered a roundhouse kick to the face of a Dwarf that was approaching him with a club.

“No, no,” she said. “Remember that crazy night in Murmansk, where we woke up on a boat to the Arctic Circle?”

“Oh _yeah_ ,” Clint replied. “I can see what you mean.”

“Watch out!” Natasha shrieked, as Thor threw a troll across the tavern, and narrowly missed her face.

“Sorry,” Thor apologised.

“This is just like the old days, isn't it?” Loki asked.

“I fear our friends will not agree, brother. You must use your magic to end this,” Thor said, as he punched another troll in the face.

“I can't,” Loki said, ducking to avoid a punch, then twirling to trip an approaching Elf.

“Why not?”

“Because then they will _definitely_ know I cheated.”

“ _Loki..._ You cheated?”

“Of course I did,” he replied.

“What card did you have?”

“Midgardian.”

“Oh dear,” Thor said, as he grabbed a troll in a headlock. “No wonder.”

“ENOUGH!” a deep, gruff, voice shouted across the bar, and the brawl stopped, as everyone turned their heads to see a giant, some twelve feet tall, emerge behind the bar from a back room, tapping a giant spiked club against one hand.

“You think it right that you should be allowed to behave like animals in public?” the giant asked, as he made his way from behind the bar and into the main room of the tavern. “You think it right that you should be allowed to destroy my livelihood because of your petty quarrels.”

“He started it!” the troll shouted, as he pointed at Loki. “He cheated us at cards.”

“And who is the buffoon here?” the giant asked. “The one who cheated, or the one who invited the god of mischief to his table.”

“Trickster!” the troll hissed, turning to face Loki. “I should have recognised you, but I will have my revenge on you before long.”

“Yes, _yes_ ,” Loki retorted. “You know, I'm getting a bit sick of people threatening me with revenge, and pain, and sometimes things worse than pain. Not a single one of them has managed it yet.”

“Leave my tavern in peace son of Odin,” the giant said. “You are no longer welcome here.”

Loki went to speak again, but Thor held his hand up and said, “You have our deepest apologies, innkeeper. When we return to Asgard we will ensure that you are compensated well for any damage that has occurred tonight.”

 

  
  


“This light is useless,” Tony complained, as he sat by the camp fire in a forest clearing, trying to straighten out the damaged sections of his armour.”

“My mother said you can go blind if you try to work in bad light,” Steve said.

“I'm sure she told you many things will make you go blind, and none of them were true,” Tony replied. “You know, when I agreed to come on this trip I thought we were going to a palace. No one said anything about sleeping in mud.”

“Sleeping under the stars will not be so bad, my friend,” Thor said. “We have a roaring fire, and good company, and now we have a tale to tell at the feast that will be held in your honour!”

“What would you have done if you'd lost?” Steve asked Loki.

“I was never going to lose,” Loki replied. “I would not have gambled such great trophies if I thought I would lose.”

“But say you did, what would you have done?”

“Sneaked into the Trolls room and cut his throat while he slept,” Loki replied, as he absent mindedly poked at the fire with a stick.

“ _What?_ ”

“Oh… force of habit, sorry,” Loki replied, looking up from the fire, and realising what he had said. “I mean I would have sneaked into his room while he slept and stole them back.”

“Aha! I think I got it,” Tony said, as he moved a metal plate, and the armour slipped back into its suitcase form. “Looks like you suckers will be walking tomorrow, while I blast through the skies and laugh at you from above.”

“I hope you get eaten by a dragon,” Natasha said.

“Dragons are rare on Vanaheim, but I know a call that will bring forth a giant Eagle if that will suffice,” Loki said.

“Do you remember that time when a giant Eagle stole our supper," Thor said, with a laugh, "and it carried you for miles, dangling by a spear stuck in its rump?”

“Oh _yes_ , Thor, that was very funny. If I recall correctly it broke both my legs trying to get rid of me,” Loki said sharply.

“Aren't Norse myths just _fascinating?_ Full of colour, and great characters, and wild stories.” Tony said, and then he turned to Loki and said, “Is it true you had sex with a horse?”

“Stark!” Thor said, threateningly.

“Oh hush, Thor,” Loki replied. “Yes, it's true, although you make it sound a lot more sordid than it actually was.”

“Ewww,” Tony said. “I'm actually kinda surprised you'd admit something like that.”

“I am not ashamed of it,” Loki said. “Why would I be? I was a mare at the time and my son Sleipnir is the finest horse in all the nine realms.”

“Yeah, but you gave birth to a _horse_.”

“Well, when you eventually impregnate some unfortunate wretch, we shall let our offspring race and find out which one is the best,” Loki said snottily, and Natasha let out a snorting laugh.

“We should sleep now, my friends,” Thor interrupted. “We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and we will need to be well rested and at our sharpest to best a Fire Drake.”

 

A while later, when the only sounds in their camp was the crackling of the fire, and Tony's light snores, Thor turned over and whispered, “Loki, are you asleep?” When he received no reply he reached over, poked Loki in the ribs, and said, “Are you sleeping, brother?”

“ _Now_ I'm not,” Loki said, his eyes fluttering open.

“Are you cold? I can detach my cape for you to use as a blanket.”

“I don't feel the cold you dullard, I'm a Frost Giant remember,” Loki said affectionately.

Thor shuffled over, and wrapped his arms round his brother and said, “I forgot to give you a hug tonight.”

Loki hugged him back, and mumbled, “Thank you for waking me to tell me this important information.”

“I was so proud of you today. You fought valiantly, and you won the card game.”

“I won because I cheated.”

“Yes, but you cheated well, and for a good reason. You cheated for the team.”

“That's nice.”

“And did you see how they fought for your honour brother?” Thor asked, and Loki opened his eyes again, thoughts racing through his head. “Did you see how they defended you? If only that could happen again.”

 

 

  
“Loki!” Thor bellowed, as he raced between the trees at the first light of day.

“What's going on?” Tony asked, startled awake by Thor's shouts.

“My brother, he is missing.”

“What?” Natasha asked. “Maybe he went to the bathroom or something?”

“Loki would not have wandered off alone into the forest,” Thor said, as he stood by the ashes of burnt out camp fire. “I found footprints and signs of a struggle on the path. I fear the Troll that threatened his life has taken him.”

“My bow is gone!” Clint yelled.

“My shield is gone too,” Steve said.

“Mjolnir is gone!” Thor cried, then he turned around. “Oh no, here it is.”

“Everyone suit up!” Tony shouted.

“Er, we already _are_ suited up,” Natasha said. “You're the only one who isn't.”

“Oh, well in that case,” Tony said, as he threw his suitcase to the ground, popped it with his foot, and then pushed his hands into the gloves. “Let's go kick some dwarf ass!”

Tony watched as his armour smoothed its way down his arms, covered his chest, and legs then his faceplate slammed down with a clang and he said, “Nobody steals my Norse god and gets away with it.”

 


	5. Divide the task, double the success.

They followed the footprints through the trees, and soon came across a makeshift camp at the bottom of a low gorge, where two snoring figures lay next to a dying fire and an overturned cooking pot.

“I don't see him,” Natasha said, as they crouched behind a massive moss covered log.

“He's over there,” Clint whispered, pointing to a dark figure slumped at the base of a tree, with its arms pulled back, tightly tied around the trunk.

“Loki!” Thor half shouted when he saw his unconscious brother, his head sagging towards his chest, with blood tricking down his face from a wound somewhere in his hairline.

“Shhh!” Steve said, observing the broken ale jars that littered the ground in the camp. “Don't wake them up.”

“So the plan is this, I run in and shoot them all while they sleep, right?” Tony asked.

“I'm gonna say _no_ on that one,” Steve replied. “They're drunk. We can do this with the minimum fuss, sneak in, grab Loki and our stuff, and be miles away before they even realise he's gone.”

“OK, my plan? _Wayyy_ more fun than your plan,” Tony said.

Steve glared at him disapprovingly for a second, and then said, “Widow, you're up.”

“OK,” she replied.

Natasha stealthily made her way across the forest floor, keeping her footsteps light, and avoiding twigs or piles of leaves, anything that might make a sound and give away her position, and edged her way over to the tree where Loki was tied.

“Loki,” she whispered, crouching in front of him, patting his face gently, and wiping the blood from above his eyebrow, taking care to avoid the vicious looking bruise that was blooming across his temple. “Come on, wake up.”

Loki moaned quietly, his eyes fluttered open, and he looked around, confused. “What happened?”

“We have to be quiet, OK? The Troll nabbed you in the middle of the night. I'm gonna untie you now,” Natasha said, quickly moving round the back of the tree and working on the knots in the thick rope that held his hands securely.

“My head hurts,” he groaned quietly.

“Looks like he gave you a pretty good whack,” Natasha said, as the knots finally gave way. “Are you OK to walk?”

“I think so,” Loki said, rubbing at the raised pink welts on his wrists where the rough rope had rubbed them raw. He took the hand Natasha offered, and let her help him to his feet, then he worked his fingers into his hair and winced when they ran over the sizeable lump that was forming on his scalp.

“We need to get Clint’s bow and Cap's shield too,” Natasha said, looking around. “Where the hell are they?”

“It appears the Dwarf is hugging the bow,” Loki whispered.

“Crap,” Natasha replied. “OK, maybe this is gonna be a bit more difficult than I thought. Can you see the shield?”

“It is by the Troll,” Loki said lowly, “but it should not pose a problem. I can collect that, while you collect the bow.”

Natasha crept silently towards the Dwarf, as Loki moved over towards the troll. She gave Loki a quick thumbs up as he successfully picked up the shield without waking the creature, then turned her attention back to the dwarf.

The bow lay on his chest, one arm casually slung over it, and she lent forward, wrinkling her nose at the stench of its breath, then gently took hold of its wrist and lifted as slowly as she could. She moved its arm to the side, pausing as it muttered something under its breath, terrified it was about to wake up, and then took the bow cautiously from its chest.

Loki smiled brightly as Natasha turned to him and held the bow up in triumph, and then the Avengers, still gathered behind the downed tree, enjoyed a silent celebration, as Thor grabbed Clint by the shoulders and shook him heartily.

Natasha started to creep back towards the tree, and put her foot down on a raft of fallen leaves, not knowing that a brittle twig lay below them.

_SNAP!_

“What the…” the Dwarf said, as it sat up, woken by the noise.

Thor and The Avengers sprang from behind the log, running forward to help their friends in the conflict that was sure to follow, and Loki watched as they were lifted into the air, leaves fluttering to the ground, as they were captured in a large rope net that had lain hidden on the forest floor.

The Dwarf was on its feet now, grappling with Natasha, its strength belying its small size, and as the Troll moved towards him, Loki realised he was still holding the shield. He spun round, throwing it as if it was one of his knives, straight into the head of the approaching troll, propelling it backwards into a tree and knocking it unconscious. He lacked the skill of its owner, the shield did not return to him as it did to Steve, and it bounced uselessly across the floor, ending up many feet away from him.

Natasha wielded the bow like a staff, twirling on her feet, and ramming it into the dwarfs head, knocking him sideways, then she leapt into the air, bringing her knee down into the centre of the creatures back.

“Get the rope,” she shouted, still holding down the winded dwarf, as it struggled for breath, and as Loki moved towards her, she grabbed the rope from his hands and hog-tied the dwarf securely.

“I'll get you for this,” the dwarf wheezed, still trying to gulp air into its lungs.

“An exemplary performance, Agent Romanoff,” Loki said, as he stood by her side.

“Not too bad yourself,” Natasha said, with a shrug.

“If you aren't too busy can you get us down from here,” Bruce shouted from inside the still swinging net, high in the trees. “Thor is kinda squashing me.”

“Yeah,” Tony shouted, “and I'm not even gonna ask whose crotch is like an inch from my face.”

“Do forgive me,” Loki said, conjuring a knife from the air, and walking over to where the counterbalancing boulder was rocking in the air. He cut the rope quickly, and then laughed as the net dropped, spilling the Avengers all over the floor.

“I threw your shield,” Loki said, as he offered his hand to Steve to help him up.

“I saw, you did great.”

“I could not make it come back to me as you did though, it must require great skill.”

“Maybe when we get back home I can show you how it's done,” Steve said.

“That would be excellent, thank you.”

“Are you injured, brother,” Thor said, as he walked over.

“Just a small cut. It will heal quickly,” Loki replied, then he shooed Thor's hands away as he tried to investigate further. “Don't fuss over me, I'm not a child.”

“Are you well enough to take us to Hvergelmir?” Thor asked.

“Yes, I will be fine. My magic appears to have recovered a lot overnight,” Loki said.

“How come you didn't use it to escape last night?” Clint asked.

“It's rather hard to use magic when you've been taken by surprise and knocked unconscious,” Loki replied. “Come, we must find an entrance to the pathways. There is a cave not far from here that we can use.”

“Aye, and there are fruit trees on the way so we may eat before we enter the pathway,” Thor said, as he turned and followed Loki away from the camp.

“We're eating forest fruits now?” Bruce said, as they started to walk between the trees, following the brothers. “I feel like Bear Grylls.”

“I'm not eating bugs,” Tony said, “and I'm not drinking anyone's pee either.”

 

“You fought bravely, brother,” Thor said, as he placed his hand on Loki shoulder, and smiled. “I am very proud of you.”

“Thank you, Thor,” Loki said, trying to hide the sly grin pulling at the corner of his mouth, and when he was sure they had rounded the corner, and were out of sight of the encampment, he allowed the magical clones of the Dwarf and the Troll to fizzle out of existence.

 

 

 

“I have no idea what this is called,” Tony said, as he gulped down another mouthful of the pink fruit he was holding in his hand, as he trudged down the path, with his suitcase under one arm, “but is the best thing I've ever tasted.”

“I know, it's not even like fruit,” Clint said. “Tastes kinda like chicken.”

“Keep the seeds,” Tony said. “I'm gonna grow this back home.”

“The Gunjna tree takes a thousand Midgard years to bear fruit, Stark,” Loki said, cradling the bundle of Colfa twigs in his arms. “You will have a long wait.”

“Well, one day my great-great grand kids will thank me, because this stuff is amazing.”

 

The path opened up ahead of them, and sunlight poured in through the thick leafy canopy of the treetops.

“Brother,” Thor said, grabbing Loki's arm excitedly. “It is so long since we have been down this path. I had forgotten about this.”

“Well, I had not, which is why I chose this cave for us to leave from,” Loki said with a smile. “I know you can never resist.”

“Thank you Loki, THANK YOU!” Thor said, as he started to run down the path.

“What's going on?” Steve asked.

“Hot spring!” Thor shrieked, rushing towards the edge of the bubbling pool, unclasping his armour as he ran. “Last one in the water is a putrid boil on the backside of a troll!”

Thor stripped himself of his armour, and dived into the water, as Loki dropped the twigs to the floor, and struggled with his boots, hopping on one foot for a moment till he managed to pull them off then he shucked off his tunic, as the Avengers watched.

“There will be no other hot springs along our route, so unless you wish to bathe in ice water on Nifleheim I suggest you join us,” Loki said as he pulled his trousers down.

“Are you wearing pantaloons?” Tony asked, as he looked at the rather dingy, off white cotton shorts Loki was wearing, tied at the waist with a draw string, and then again at the knee.

“My drawers?” Loki asked, fiddling with the string at his waist. “They are called Braies. You should try them. Much less constricting than Midgard undergarments.”

As Loki dropped his underwear, seemingly not caring who was watching, Tony raised his hands, and covered Steve's eyes, who frowned and batted them away.

“You going in?” Clint asked Natasha.

“A bath does sound good,” she replied, cocking her head, as Loki dived into the pool, then scooped up a handful of water and flung into Thor's face with a giggle.

“I feel like I'm babysitting two overgrown teenagers,” Steve said, as Thor climbed out of the pool, then dive-bombed back in from a rock, and pushed Loki's head under the water.

“It's not every day you get to see two Norse Gods wrestling naked,” Natasha said.

Tony took off his T-shirt, and then pulled down his jeans, revealing that apparently Iron Man didn't wear constricting Midgard underwear either, and Bruce said, “Uh… That's a little more than I wanted to see.”

“If you can't beat them, join them” Tony said, then he turned and picked his way down the rocks until he was in the water. “Wow, you guys. You should come down. This is amazing. The bubbles are tickling my ass!”

Clint and Bruce were the next to start stripping, both choosing to leave their underwear on, and then Steve watched as Loki grappled Thor into a headlock and pushed his head under the water, not even releasing his grasp when Thor's legs started to kick out in vain behind him.

“You don't think he's turned evil again, do you?” Natasha asked.

“Loki, I think you should let Thor up now,” Steve shouted.

“Why?” Loki asked, as Thor's movements began to slow, and finally still.

“I think he's had enough.”

“All right,” Loki said, and dragged Thor up to the surface, where he emerged from the water coughing up a lungful of water.

“I will get you for that, brother!” Thor laughed.

“You'll have to catch me first!” Loki shrieked, diving under the water, then reappearing on the other side of the pond.

“I get the impression that growing up in Asgard is like one giant boy scouts camping trip,” Steve said, and then Natasha started unzipping her jacket.

“Oh don't look at me like that,” she said. “Look around you, it's beautiful here, and when are we ever gonna get a chance to do something like this again?”

Steve watched as Natasha, still in her underwear, picked her way down to the waters edge, and then Loki took her hand to help her over the loose stones at the edge.

“You should come on in Steve,” she shouted, as she lay back and let her hair get wet. “The water is wonderful.”

“Steve! Steve! Steve!” Tony started chanting, and finally Steve rolled his eyes and started to take off his uniform as everyone cheered.

 

 

Once Loki and Thor had had their fill of horseplay and throwing each other around, they had wallowed in the warm water for an hour, talking, laughing, and letting the aches and pains of their journey fade away, but soon it came time to set off again, and once again they walked the path through the forest. It felt different this time, the worries of earlier in the day had vanished, and they laughed and chatted as they headed towards the cave that would take them on the penultimate leg of their voyage.

 

Thor watched as Loki walked ahead of him on the path, and Stark had moved alongside him and whispered something in his ear. Somehow during the conversation Loki had ended up carrying Tony's suitcase, and now they laughed occasionally, as they talked quietly, and stole looks back over their shoulders. Thor thought he heard the word _Thrym_ , _giant_ , and _wedding dress_.

“I made him wear a veil, and I put a flower garland on his head,” Loki whispered, and Tony covered his mouth to muffle his laughter.

“Perhaps you should tell Stark the tale of how you spent eight years on Midgard disguised as a milk maid,” Thor said, and Loki snickered.

“You were a milk maid?” Tony asked.

“I was indeed,” Loki replied, swapping the suitcase to his other arm as he walked cheerfully down the path.

“For _eight_ years?”

“I got to wear a bonnet,” Loki said. “I really suited it.”

“So you stayed, milking cows on earth, because you liked the hat?”

“It was a _very_ fine hat,” Loki replied.

“OK, if I didn't think you were nuts before, what with the whole alien invasion, taking over the planet thing, _nooowwwww_ I know you're completely insane.”

“I'm insane?” Loki asked, pushing Tony playfully. “That's amusing coming from someone who flew a weapon into another a realm with very little hope of getting back.”

“And that's a bit rich coming from someone who jumped into a wormhole.”

“I didn't jump…” Loki said, then he paused, considering his actions, and with a laugh he said, “Hmmm, you might actually have a point there.”

Thor continued to walk behind them without interrupting again, content to watch his brother happy and enjoying himself in the company of another, but soon the path turned, and they heard the sound of rushing water.

 

 

“Wow, that is amazing,” Bruce said, as they stopped at the base of a giant waterfall, hundreds of feet high, and marvelled at the enormous rainbow that hung in the mist, and spanned the tree lined valley.

“The cave is behind the water,” Loki said. “I suggest we enter it with a great deal of caution.”

“If we take care on the rocks and all hold hands we should be OK, right?” Steve asked.

“Oh, I'm not worried about the trip to the cave, Captain,” Loki said. “I’m worried about the vast numbers of venomous snakes that live inside it.”

“Snakes?” Clint asked.

“ _Venomous_ snakes?” Tony said, grabbing his suitcase from Loki's hands, throwing it on the ground, and popping the catch with his foot.

“My brother is jesting,” Thor said. “You should not play with the mortals so, brother. You know they don't like it.”

“Sorry,” Loki said, with a smirk, and not looking at all repentant. “It’s a hard habit to break.”

“So there are no snakes?” Tony asked, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Snakes? No,” Thor said. “ _Leeches…_ ”

“Leeches?” Tony asked, with a twitch.

“My friends,” Thor said, “we're going to Hvergelmir.”

Tony watched as Thor and Loki headed towards the waterfall, then as Steve walked past him he said, “Really? Did he just say that the cave is full of Leeches?”

“Shut up, Tony, and put your damn suit on,” Clint said, as they headed behind the waterfall, and into the cave.

 


	6. Nobody can get there, unless everybody gets there.

“Leeches!” Tony screamed as he exited the secret pathway through the shiny surface of a pool of dried resin that coated the side of an enormous leafless tree.

“Calm down Tony,” Steve said. “There's only one on your hand.”

“They're in my suit! THEY. ARE. _IN!_ MY! SUIT!”

“Oh,” Steve said, as Tony started tearing at his armour, trying to find the catch that made it disengage from his body.

As the armour folded itself away, it revealed dozens of black, slug like creatures of attached to Tony's arms and neck.

“Oh my god, I'm going to faint,” Tony said, but as he tried to brush them away, each one turned into a tiny puff of green glittering smoke as they vanished, and Loki snickered behind him.

“You!” Tony screeched, pointing at Loki.

“It was merely a jest,” Loki said, innocently.

“I'm going to kill you!” Tony shouted, wrapping his hands round Loki's throat.

“You'll need to squeeze a lot harder than that, mortal,” Loki giggled. Then as Stark gripped tighter, Loki started to choke and rasped out, “Stop it! Stop it!”

“Alright that's enough,” Steve said, pulling Tony's hands away from Loki's neck. Then he pointed at Tony and said, “You walk with Thor, at the front.” Then pointed at Loki and said, “You walk with me, at the back.”

“OK, dad,” Tony grumbled, as they set off.

 

“You should be happy, Stark,” Thor said, as they trudged along the path through the dead forest where mist hung close to the ground. “Loki only plays harmless pranks on those he likes.”

“It didn't feel very harmless when my heart was trying to come out of my chest,” Tony said. “How do you know it was meant to be harmless?”

“Well, you are alive, aren't you?”

“When we get home I'm gonna invent a Loki buster armour, and I'm gonna knock his head off his shoulders.”

“Loki has been decapitated before,” Thor said. “So if you require help for your prank I will assist.”

“You're gonna help me knock your brothers head off?” Tony asked.

“I'm sure Loki would see the funny side of such trick,” Thor said. “Once he reattaches it.”

“Damn,” Tony said, moving a few steps away from Thor, “and I thought _he_ was the only crazy one in the family.”

 

 

Loki deliberately made his strides long, and after a while had managed to worm his way through the group till he was next to Thor again.

“Brother,” Thor greeted him. “Isn't it wonderful to be back on Nifleheim again?”

“It has been a long time, yes,” Loki replied, clasping his hands together behind his back as he cheerfully walked, his feet scuffing the path, and churning up the thick layer of ash and decay.

“I was just telling Stark about our many adventures on Midgard in our youth.”

“I do hope you showed a little decorum and kept your more _lustful_ visits a private matter.”

“Lustful?” Tony asked.

“Thor sowed his wild oats with many a Midgardian maiden when we were younger,” Loki said with a grin.

“What was that about decorum, brother?” Thor asked.

“So at some point there was probably a dozen little baby Thor's running round on Earth?”

“Highly likely.”

“And little baby Loki's?”

“I bore several children when I was a milk maid, yes.”

“ _Bore_ … as in you were their mother?”

“Well, milk maids are usually female, yes.”

“OK, backing away from the conversation, beep, beep, beep,” Tony replied, as he moved sideways.

“Loki, stop teasing Stark,” Thor said, as Loki's mouth curled into a grin.

“So it's not true?” Tony asked. “Thank god, cos that was getting a bit weird, even for me.”

“Oh, it's true,” Thor replied. “I just thought you would prefer not to hear about it.”

“So _anyway_ …” Tony said, trying to drag the conversation away from it's more disturbing content, “before you butted in we were discussing how days of the week were named after Norse gods.”

“Oh yes,” Loki said, and Tony couldn't help but notice the slight twitch near his eye.

“So Wednesday is named after your dad… and Thursday named after Thor.”

“And Friday was named Frīgedæg, or Frigga's day, meaning it was named after our mother,” Thor added.

“And then there's _you_ , and you don't seem to have a day named after you,” Tony asked. “Now why is that? Why could that _possibly_ be?”

“I have no idea,” Loki replied, twitching again. “I've never really given it much consideration. It seems a trivial matter to me.”

“You do have one day, brother.”

“We do not talk about _THAT_ day,” Loki snapped.

“But April fools day is one of the greatest traditions on Midgard brother.”

“Oh _yes_ , a day where people change sugar for salt, and pretend penguins can fly or spaghetti grows on trees! So _very_ amusing,” Loki ranted. “The Midgardian pranks are so far beneath me it is insulting!”

“Touched a nerve there, huh?” Tony asked, a sly grin creeping over his face.

“Shut up, Stark!” Loki snapped, then he stopped walking and said, “I'm going to talk to Steve. At least he is amiable company, unlike yourself.”

 

Loki waited until the others had walked past him, and then took his place by Steve's side again.

“Back so quick?” Steve said.

“Stark is annoying,” Loki said. “I don't know how he hasn't been thrown out of more windows.”

“You're just realising that, huh?” Steve asked, and then he smiled. “Tony likes you, really.”

“I do not get that impression,” Loki said.

“Trust me, he does,” Steve replied. “He just has a funny way of showing it.”

“Hmmm,” Loki replied. “Interesting.”

 

 

 

The landscape of Nifleheim had given way from a dark, leafless forest to high craggy peaks, and as they stood in the dead scrub land at the base of a mountain, they watched as winged creatures took to the air and breathed fire in warning.

“Anyone else starting to get a bad feeling about this?” Tony asked, as a creature that could only be described as a dragon, screeched loudly overhead.

“I had a bad feeling when I saw that forest,” Bruce said. “This is much worse.”

“It's like we walked into hell,” Natasha said, shivering slightly in the cold.

“No, my friends,” Thor said, with a chuckle. “Hel is on the other side of Nifleheim. We are not going there.”

“So where are we going?” Steve asked.

Loki pointed at the mountain, and said, “We go up.”

 

 

The mountain was huge, it's high peak shrouded in mist, but the incline was gentle with weaving paths that took them upwards towards a plateau, where Loki assured them they would find a Fire Drake worthy of capture.

 

“You want us to go into THAT?” Bruce asked, as he poked his head above the rocky outcrop and observed the Fire Drake colony, where hundreds of chattering bird like creatures settled onto nests made of dead twigs, and Loki nodded.

“Seriously?” Clint asked. “Are you nuts?”

“According to the healers, no,” Loki replied. “Well, not any more, anyway.”

“What's the plan?” Tony asked.

“Plan?” Loki asked.

“You don't have a plan?” Steve hissed.

“We have never captured a Fire Drake before,” Thor said. “But we have heard of people attempting it.”

“ _Attempting?_ ” Steve asked.

“None lived to tell the tale,” Thor admitted, and Steve's mouth dropped open in horror.

“So you didn't think that _tiny_ bit of information was important?” Tony asked. “That everyone who has tried this has _died?_ ”

“None of those who have attempted this quest have had such a magnificent team as ours,” Thor said proudly. “I have no doubt that we will be the first to accomplish it, and our names will live on in legend through the ages!”

“I'd rather continue to be a living legend, thank you,” Tony said.

“We're doing this guys,” Natasha said. “We didn't come all this way to be put off by… a few hundred fire breathing dragons.”

“ _Venomous_ fire breathing dragons,” Tony reminded her.

“Is there any age limit?” Steve asked. “We don't have to bring back one of the fully grown ones do we?”

“Even a Fire Drake egg would suffice,” Loki suggested. “No one has ever raided a nest and lived either.”

“So we could distract the adults with these Colfa twigs and steal an egg?”

“Yes,” Loki said. “If they work.”

“I thought you said the twigs would make them easier to catch?”

“It is _assumed_ that they work,” Thor said. “No one has ever returned to confirm that they do.”

“OK, forget the twigs,” Steve said. “If we can't be sure they work I don't want to find that out when we're in the middle of being attacked."

“We're all going to die,” Tony said. “I'm just putting that out there.”

“Shut up, Tony,” Natasha snapped.

“If I die, I want to be buried in my armour, and I want a BIG statue dedicated to me in the city somewhere. You guys _have_ to make sure that happens. Except you won't be able to tell anyone because you'll all be dead too!”

“OK, what if Clint, you, Widow and Tony take out the ones nearest to us. Bruce, you can suit up, and you and Thor keep any that approach off our backs, and Loki, you come with me, and we grab an egg?”

“Take out?” Loki asked.

“Shoot them, kill them,” Clint replied.

“Oh no, no, _no_ , you can't do that,” Loki replied. “Hela has forbidden anyone from killing a Fire Drake in her realm. Believe me, you do _not_ want to get on the wrong side of her.”

“So no plan, and we can't kill them?” Tony said. “This is just _great_.”

“I have an idea,” Loki said.

 

 

 

“So everyone knows their part, yes?” Loki asked, and the Avengers nodded.

“I think it's time to let the other guy out to play,” Tony said to Bruce.

“I guess it's a good opportunity to see if that clothing enchantment worked,” Bruce said.

“Yeah, I'm kinda looking forward to seeing Hulk in a leather jacket,” Tony replied, as he popped his armour case, and put his hands in the gloves, letting the suit smooth over his body.

Bruce allowed the transformation to take over, his muscles bulging, his skin turning green, and as he grew in stature, his clothes grew with him, until he stood, tall and green and dressed in jeans and a jacket.

“I believe we can consider the enchantment a success,” Loki said, admiring the effects of his spell. “You certainly look very much more appropriately dressed to be seen in public.”

The Hulk looked down at himself, holding out his leather-encased arms.

“HULK NO LIKE!” he shrieked, then grabbed the jacket and ripped it from his body, leaving it in two tattered sections on the side of the mountain.

“Oh dear,” Loki said. “That wasn't exactly the reaction I expected.”

“My jacket!” Clint cried. “I loved that jacket!”

“It's enchanted remember,” Loki said, grabbing the two sections, and holding the edges together, and then they watched as magical tendrils of light wove around the frayed seams, and knitted the two halves of the jacket back together. “There we go. Good as new.”

“Thanks,” Clint said, as Loki threw the jacket towards him, and he put it on, zipping it up.

“Are we ready?” Thor asked.

“Let's do this,” Steve replied.

 

Thor sprang up and rushed across the plateau, dodging the mouths of the Fire Drakes who screamed their annoyance at his intrusion. When he reached the centre of the colony he raised Mjolnir to the sky, and called down a huge fork of lightning which crashed to the ground, terrifying the creatures and sending them spiralling into the air in fear.

“Do it!” Steve shouted, and Clint stood, holding out four arrows. Loki touched each one, then Clint hooked them onto his bow string, and fired them high over the mass of flying dragons. Each arrow trailed a bright tendril of green light behind it, and as they fell over the side of the screeching creatures, Loki drew his hand back, drawing the end of the tendrils to him, trapping the Fire Drakes within a glowing web of magic.

“You got them?” Steve asked.

“Go!” Loki shouted, frowning as he fought to contain the beasts that were thrashing against the magical net, beating their wings frantically, and blowing plumes of fire into the sky.

As Natasha and Clint stood by Loki to protect him, Steve, Hulk, and Tony leapt over the ridge, and fought their way through a few straggling Fire Drakes who had refused to leave their nests, smashing their snouts as they lunged at them.

“Here! Here!” Steve shouted, skidding to a halt besides an unprotected nest. “One egg or two?”

“Grab two, best to have a back up,” Tony said, then Hulk punched a dragon in the nose, making the creature sneeze loudly, and waddle backwards, keening lowly.

“We must make haste,” Thor bellowed as he crossed the plateau and reached his friends position. “Loki will not be able to contain the beasts for long.”

Steve picked two giant eggs up, cradling them against his chest with one arm, and said, “Let's go.”

More Fire Drakes had left their nests and were making their way towards the Avengers, forcing them to fight their way back through. Tony let off a volley of individually targeted missiles, allowing them to explode inches from the faces of the six dragons that blocked their path, sending the creatures backwards, snorting with fear.

 

Loki maintained his hold on the magical web, his brow creasing as the Fire Drakes struggled against him, and forced him to use more of his magic to keep them contained.

“Look out!” Natasha screeched as a Fire Drake tore over their heads, pulling back its neck and exposing its chest, preparing to breathe fire over them.

Natasha raised her guns, shooting just wide of the beast, hoping the noise would scare it away, and Clint fired an explosive arrow, detonating it in the path of the monster, making it turn its head so flames missed them.

“Nicely done,” Natasha said.

“Thanks,” Clint replied.

“Behind you!” Loki screamed, his eyes focused on the Avengers who were still fighting their way across the plateau.

 

Steve raised his shield to protect himself from a blast of flames, leaving his lower body exposed, as a Fire Drake went for his legs and sank its fangs into his thigh.

“No!” Thor cried, as Steve sank to the ground, dropping one of the eggs, which hit bare rock, and cracked in half.

As the Fire Drake released Steve, Hulk smashed his fist into the creatures face, sending it howling across the field with blood streaming from its nostrils, and Steve cried out in pain, still clutching their remaining egg safely to his chest.

“The venom can't hurt him, right?” Tony asked. “He's a super soldier, the serum will protect him?”

“Even I could be harmed by the venom of a Fire Drake, Stark,” Thor replied. “It is very powerful.”

“I can help him,” Loki said, appearing by their sides, still holding the magical tendrils of the web in his hand.

“Brother, you should not be here,” Thor said. “It is not safe when you cannot defend yourself.”

“We tried to tell him that,” Clint replied, as he and Natasha arrived, “but he wouldn't listen to us.”

“I can help him,” Loki hissed. “You know as well as I do that he will die if we do nothing.”

“You can fix him?” Tony asked.

“I can,” Loki replied, “but in the process the web might collapse and allow the Fire Drakes to go free.”

“Do it,” Tony said. “We'll fight our way out if we have to.”

“No, it's not safe,” Steve panted, his face white and slicked with sweat, as he handed the egg to Natasha. “Take the egg. Go.”

“I'm afraid I can't do that,” Loki said as he knelt by Steve's side, transferring the tendrils of magic to his left hand, which he held aloft as if he were holding the string of a balloon. “You see, I made a promise to myself that I would no longer idly stand by and allow someone to suffer when I could help them.”

“Do it!” Tony shouted again.

Loki placed his right hand on Steve's thigh, and closed his eyes, sending what magic he could spare into the wound, probing the flesh and blood with his mind until he found the venom.

“This may hurt a little,” Loki whispered, and then Steve began to scream as the magic burned the poison out of his system.

Above their heads the magical net began to flicker, its intensity fading, small patches fizzling, and allowing a few dragons to force their way through.

“Guys, the net is collapsing,” Clint shouted.

“Shut up and let him work,” Tony said.

The Fire Drakes on the ground were regrouping, joining together in a small flock, and moving across the field.

“I cannot call lightning down to scare them with the creatures over our heads,” Thor said. “You must hurry, brother.”

Loki nodded, his eyes still closed, then he screwed his face up in concentration, and gave everything that he had. The net above their heads began to reform, burning brightly, then Steve screamed again as the magic coursing through his veins to burn out the poison increased exponentially.

“Holy crap!” Tony said, taking a step back as green light started to glow around Loki's hands, spreading down his arms, and engulfing both him, and Steve.  The glow increased until the Avengers were forced to cover their eyes to protect them from the pulsing light, and then it surged outwards like an exploding star, with a bang that echoed round the mountains.

Loki smiled down at Steve, his face was no longer covered in sweat, his breathing was even, and the wound on his thigh had been replaced by fresh pink skin.

“You did it,” Steve said.

“It appears I did,” Loki said, then his eyes rolled back into his head, he pitched forward, unconscious across Steve's legs, and the magical web vanished, releasing the angry dragons in a screaming cloud across the sky.

“Loki!” Thor cried, as he bent and pulled his unconscious brother into his arms. He turned to the Hulk and said, “Banner, you must take him to safety. Take him to the forest, the Fire Drakes will not follow you into it.”

The Hulk snorted as Thor laid Loki in his arms, then bounded off down the hill with giant leaping strides that carried him away quickly from the writhing mass of Fire Drakes over their heads.

Steve climbed to his feet, and accepted the egg from Natasha, hugging it tightly to his chest, and protecting it with his shield. “Lets move.”

 

 

 

It took an hour for the Avengers to fight their way down the mountain path. The skies were filled with dark storm clouds as Thor called down lightning repeatedly, sending the beasts thrashing to escape through the pouring rain.

“Banner!” Thor called, as he reached the edge of the forest and charged between the trees. “Banner, where are you?”

“Over here!” Bruce shouted, and Thor ran towards the sound of his voice, until he reached a small dell where thick treeless branches overhead sheltered them from the worst of the freezing rain.

“Brother,” Thor said, sinking to his knees, and crouching next to Loki, who was propped up against the trunk of a tree, conscious and smiling, but with dark circles under his eyes, that betrayed just how exhausted he was. “Are you well?”

“I'm fine,” Loki replied weakly. “I just need to rest a while before we move on to Asgard.”

“I was scared,” Thor said, running his hand over his brother's hair gently. “I thought you had hurt yourself. I have never seen that happen before.”

Loki chuckled, and said, “Apparently I've never tried really hard before.”

“Thor!” a voice in the distance called.

“We are here, my friends!” Thor shouted, and soon Steve and Tony arrived, jogging through the trees.

“What was it?” Thor asked. “The flash of light?”

“I reached down inside myself, and found a place I didn't know existed,” Loki said. “It stored a whole new level of magic, and it was so overwhelming, just touching it was astonishing.”

“Maybe you should not try that again,” Thor said.

“It was just too much at once, but with training I should be able to master it,” Loki said. “Imagine the things I will be able to do when I can control it.”

“I know what that place was, and why you couldn't access it before,” Thor said with a smile.

“What?” Loki asked.

“It is your happiness and your desire to do good,” Thor replied, seriously.

“Oh, stop it,” Loki said, laughing. “That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.”

“Hey guys,” Clint said, as he and Natasha came through the trees, and he handed his jacket to the now shivering Bruce. “What's going on?”

“Apparently Loki found his happy place,” Tony answered.

“Cool,” Natasha replied.

 


	7. Coming together is a beginning.   Keeping together is progress.   Working together is success.

“Where are we?” Steve asked when they stumbled out of a full-length mirror, and into a darkened room.

“My private chambers on Asgard,” Loki replied.

“You own a huge mirror,” Tony said. “Guess I’m not the only vain one.”

“I-I needed it to traverse the secret paths, nothing more,” Loki replied, his cheeks turning a subtle shade of pink, as he lit an elaborate candelabra.

“Yeah, yeah,” Tony replied, looking around at the shelves lined with bottles, and the desk that was covered in quills and parchment scrolls. “Nice place you got here, by the way. Does Severus Snape know you stole his office?”

“What?” Loki asked.

“Remind me to show you Harry Potter when we get home,” Tony said. “You're gonna love it.”

“We must go to the throne room at once,” Thor said. “We must present father with his gift.”

 

The news of their arrival had spread quickly, and a crowd of Aesir gathered to see the heroes of Midgard. The Avengers stood in the throne room, feeling slightly dishevelled and completely under dressed, as Odin swept into the room flanked by guards, and stood on the dais before them.

“My sons,” Odin said, looking slightly flustered. “You are home so soon?”

“Yes, father,” Thor said. “We got your urgent message that we, and the Avengers, should come to Asgard.”

“ _Urgent…_ message?” Odin said.

“Yes, father, the one you asked mother to send to me,” Thor said. “We came as soon as we could, and we had a great adventure along the way. It has been a most wonderful bonding experience for us _all_.”

“ _Ah…_ ” Odin said, as a smile suddenly lit up his face.

“What was so urgent, Father?” Loki asked. “Is there a threat of war?”

“Er…” Odin said, looking around him, then he held his hands out and said, “The throne room has been redecorated. Doesn't it look marvellous?”

“But,” Loki said, looking at the elaborate gold walls, which were still elaborate gold walls, “it's the same as before.”

“No, no,” Odin said. “This gold is a _much_ brighter shade. Isn't it wonderful?”

"It is glorious, father," Thor replied.

Steve watched as Thor and Odin exchanged smiles, an odd knowing look passing between them, and he turned to Natasha and said, “Is it my imagination or have we been set up?”

“What do you mean?”

“I swear Odin just winked at Thor.”

“I dunno, Cap,” Natasha said. “He only has one eye, it's kinda hard to tell. Maybe he was just blinking.”

“We have been on an epic quest, and have returned with a great prize for you,” Thor said, and then he waved for Clint to approach the dais.

Clint, cradling the precious egg in his arms, moved forward, feeling oddly self-conscious about the streaks of dirt on his cheeks and the mud on his boots, as he stood before Odin, and passed it into his waiting hands.

“A Fire Drake egg!” Odin proclaimed, and the crowd gasped. “Never have I been given such a wonderful prize. I thank you, Avengers, I am proud that both my sons can call you friends and comrades.”

Clint moved back, as Odin handed the egg to a guard, who carried it away.

“My sons, it is good to have you home,” Odin said regally, and then he turned to the avengers. “I also greet our new friends, the Avengers, heroes on Midgard, and now welcomed as brave and noble warriors in Asgard. We will hold a great feast tonight, where many tales will be told of your adventures.”

The Avengers stood, not knowing quite what the etiquette of the situation called for, as Odin majestically swept out of the room.

“Come,” Loki said. “We shall find you sleeping quarters, and clean clothes. It would not be proper to attend the feast in our present condition.”

As Loki led the team towards the door, Steve grabbed Thor's arm and said, “Can I have a word with you?”

“Of course,” Thor said, then he turned to Loki and said, “Take the others to the bath house. We will join you soon.”

“Very well,” Loki replied, and continued out of the door.

When the door closed Steve turned to Thor and said, “Did you set this up?”

“ _What?_ ” Thor asked, raising an eyebrow and doing his best to look completely innocent.

“I saw the look on your dad's face. He had no idea what you meant when you said about an urgent message. Did he really want us to come here, or did you make it up?”

Thor's shoulders sank and he said, “Father did not send a message.”

“I knew it,” Steve said with a laugh. “I knew someone was up to something, I just didn't think it was you.”

“Will you tell the others?”

“I think it's best we keep it between ourselves.”

Thor nodded, and as Steve went to walk away, he said, “You will not tell Loki, will you?”

“He doesn't know?”

“No, he thinks this trip was his idea,” Thor said. “I may have… suggested things to him. If you are angry that he deceived you, the blame should fall to me.”

“So the kidnapping?” Steve asked. “That wasn't real?”

“No, I suspect not, although I did imply to Loki that it might be good if you had a reason to fight for him.”

“Did he really save my life?”

“That was no illusion,” Thor said. “It should stand as evidence that he really intends to do good now. He put his own life at risk to help you.”

Steve chuckled and said, “You crafty thing, you tricked the trickster.”

“You left me little choice, my friend,” Thor said. “When we were young Loki was sensitive, far too sensitive for a place like Asgard. We took his goodness, we broke it, and now I must help him get well again.”

“Do you really have the death penalty on Asgard?” Steve asked.

“No,” Thor admitted. “I thought you would not let him join us if I did not say that. I am deeply sorry for lying to you, but I love my brother and I would do anything for him. If Loki chooses to stay in Asgard, I will stay with him”

“Whoa, wait,” Steve said. “He's thinking of staying here?”

“Aye, he was upset that his offer of help was unwanted when he was trying to be good,” Thor said. “He was concerned that the rejection might make him ill once more.”

“We were just worried it was all a trick, and after everything he did it was hard to trust him, but we've seen him now, we've seen what he can do, and it’s not going to happen again,” Steve said. “Come on, we need you. We need you both.”

“Captain, I love Midgard dearly, and I have sworn to protect it, but if I had to choose, Loki would come first,” Thor said. “You must understand that mortal lives are fleeting, and in 1000 of your years, you will all be gone, but we will still live. I cannot allow Loki to suffer for that long because of my love for your realm.”

“Talk him round, get him to come back, and I promise it will be different,” Steve said.

“I will try,” Thor said, “but you must give me your word that you will not reject him again.”

“Scout's honour,” Steve said.

“I have no idea what that means,” Thor replied.

“Oh,” Steve said, “It means yes.”

“Excellent,” Thor said. “Will you help me with something?”

 

 

Natasha loved the dress she had been given to wear. Its long fawn covered embroidered panels were overlaid with fine lace work, and as she moved the fabric flowed regally behind her.

“I wish I was wearing that dress,” Tony said, sitting uncomfortably in the heavy Aesir armour he had been given after saying he didn't want to wear the casual clothes everyone else had been given, and he wanted to dress like Thor. “I can barely breathe in this thing.”

“I’m sorry, Stark,” Thor said, as he sat across from Tony at the large feasting table, pouring himself another goblet of wine. “That armour was intended for one who has not yet reached manhood.”

“Shopping in the teen section?” Natasha asked.

“He had no choice,” Loki cackled. “He was too short to fit in the armour of a fully grown male.”

Thor had been surprised when they arrived at the feast and Loki had chosen the chair next to Tony, rather than his usual seat at Thor's left side, but he found the interaction between his brother and Stark both fascinating and exhausting to watch.

At first they simply chatted, with Loki naming the various Asgardian dishes, pointing out which were the best cuts of meat, and which foods went together. There was a brief incident of raised voices when Tony wanted to put the wrong sauce on the wrong meat and refused to take no for an answer, which caused Loki to pout, and fold his arms across his chest, but shortly after they were giggling like blushing maidens over some private joke seemingly directed at Volstagg.

As Thor enjoyed a polite conversation with his mother, there was a loud bang as Tony bit into the roasted leg of some creature he didn't care to have described to him, and it exploded in his face. Loki took great pleasure in pointing and laughing as Stark cleaned green goo from his face.

“Don't make me separate you two!” Steve threatened, and both Loki and Tony flashed him matching glares.  They returned to eating their meals, but soon were whispering, conspiring together, when suddenly Steve's wine turned into snakes that spilled across the table and slithered away.

After another telling off they returned to their conversation, then a short while later Loki shrieked “I hate you!” turned round in his chair, folded his arms, and pointedly ignored Stark.

“OK,” Steve said. “When we get home you two aren't allowed to sit next to each other any more.”

“My brother may not be returning to Midgard,” Thor said, tipping a nod of thanks to Steve for broaching the subject, as he had requested.

“ _What?_ ” Tony asked. “You're not coming back?”

Loki turned round in his chair, and quietly replied, “I was considering staying in Asgard.”

“But you have to come back,” Tony said. “You haven't seen Harry Potter yet.”

“You said you were going to enchant all my clothes,” Bruce added.

“And what about my deflection spell,” Clint asked. “You said you were going to work on that, when we got back.”

“I thought you wanted me to show you how to throw my shield?” Steve asked.

“W-well,” Loki stammered, “I have to take you back anyway. I could stay for a time, while I decide what to do.”

 

 

Heimdall kept watch over Midgard, and promised to let them know if there was an emergency at home that they needed to attend to, but mercifully the earth was not invaded by either aliens, zombies, or robots, and this afforded them a few days to recuperate after their hard journey.

Steve, Natasha, and Clint had taken to joining Thor for sparring sessions with the warriors of Asgard, learning new fighting techniques, and teaching them a few new moves in return.

Bruce enjoyed spending time with the healers, learning about their enchanted potions and studying their healing herbs, hoping he would be able to take a few home to help with diseases on earth.

He was in the healing rooms being instructed on the creation of a poultice that aided the formation of new skin over burn scars when a drunken Tony brought an equally drunk Loki in, with blood pouring from his nose.

“What the hell happened to you?” Bruce asked.

“It turns out the last bar room brawl wasn't a one off,” Tony said. “Loki and taverns don't mix very well.”

“I thought I mixed very well,” Loki slurred jubilantly. “I mixed my fist with the face of that giant superbly!”

“Yeah, it's just a shame he mixed his forehead with your nose,” Tony replied, then he turned to Bruce and said, “His problem is he doesn't know when to shut up.”

“Says you!” Loki snapped, his voice artificially high as the healer pinched his nose and began to chant a spell.

“ _Ooohhhh_ , turning into a milk maid again, are we?”

“Shut up, Stark!”

“You shut up!”

They continued to bicker as the healer finished her spell, and the blood flow ceased, and then they carried on in the corridor outside. When Bruce could stand no more of the squabbling he left the healing rooms to the sound of their screams and insults echoing down the hallways.

 

 

“Hey, you guys wanna see what Loki taught me how to do last night?” Tony said as everyone sat in the feasting hall, tucking into breakfast.

“Was it how to stop a fist with your face?” Clint asked, and Loki glared at him.

“No, this is really cool,” Tony said.

“Was this before, or after your hissy fit in the healing rooms?” Bruce asked.

“What?” Tony said. “That was nothing. Just some fun banter.”

“Banter?” Steve asked. “They could probably hear you back on Earth.”

“I'll teach you the art of flyting one day, Captain,” Loki said. “It is terribly good fun.”

“That was not flyting, Loki,” Thor said. “Flyting does not involve shouting loud enough to wake half the palace.”

“Seriously? Does no one want to see what I can do?” Tony said, then he snapped his fingers and a flickering red and gold glow appeared in his hand, and everyone's jaws dropped. “Check it outttt. I can make fire!”

“My brother taught you this last night?” Thor asked.

“I'm an excellent teacher,” Loki replied, with a smug grin on his face. "Stark, is a fast learner too."

“Yeah, turns out he was right and science and magic really are the same thing,” Tony said, letting the glow move around his hand like a snake.

“I’m going to teach him how to throw balls of flame next,” Loki said, triumphantly.

“We're all dead,” Clint said.

“Remind me that we really need to run through the fire drill when we get home,” Steve added.

 

A few days later, after Tony and Loki had managed to get themselves lost in the sewerage system under Asgard and emerged 12 hours later stinking, and triumphantly carrying the decapitated head of a creature that had apparently been living under the city for some time, it was decided that it was time to go back to Earth.

Loki was rested enough to take them directly back to Earth, and after they emerged in Tony's room, everyone had wandered off in different directions. Tony headed down to his lab to check the damage on his suit, Bruce took the herbs the healers had given him to his lab to begin analysing them, Steve decided he needed a private shower after almost a week of communal baths, Thor headed straight to the kitchen to roast himself a chicken for a mid-morning snack, Clint and Natasha headed straight for the PlayStation, and Loki stood alone in the corridor for while, not quite knowing what to do with himself.

He decided to head to his room and read a book, but soon found that he couldn't settle, he couldn't relax, and he ended up perched nervously on the edge of his bed contemplating all that happened on the trip. Loki had hoped that things would not return to how they were before, when he felt rejected and bitter and sorely tempted to smite someone just to make himself feel better, but it seemed he had been abandoned again.

He knew that _technically_ he had lied and cheated on their journey to Asgard, and he hoped that Thor and the Avengers would never find out that he had made up his kidnap just to see if they would rescue him, and that he really could have taken them from Tony's room, and walked out of one of the shiny walls of the throne room, without going on a mini tour of 3 realms, but he wanted them to like him so much. Now he was back on Midgard he felt a slight niggling fear that perhaps things hadn't changed at all and the journey had been a waste.

He thought back to that moment when he had saved Steve on Nifleheim, and the store of magic that he held within himself, as he idly placed his hand over his heart. He'd accessed it a few times on Asgard, it felt like a warm shining space somewhere in his chest, but when he tried to find it now it seemed diminished. He let out a snorting laugh at the memory of Thor saying it was his desire to do good, and Tony saying it was his ‘happy place’, then felt himself overwhelmed with fear when he realised that it burnt less brightly.

Loki jumped as he heard a knock on the door, and then it slowly creaked open.

“Can we come in?” Steve asked, with Tony stood behind him.

“Please, please do,” Loki replied.

They entered the room, and Tony walked over to Loki's desk, and picked up the neatly folded parchment.

“Now we heard, from a certain thunder god who shall go unnamed, that you started a chart to see how many lives you had saved,” Tony said, unfolding the sheet, and showing it to Steve. “Would you look at that, this thing is completely out of date.”

“I think we need to fix that,” Steve said. “Have you got a pen?”

“There is a quill on the desk,” Loki replied.

“Now let's see. You saved my life when the Bilgesnipe fell on us, so that's one,” Tony said, picking up the quill, leaning on the desk to draw a line on the paper.

“And you saved my life when I was bitten by the Fire Drake,” Steve said, as he took the quill from Tony, and placed another line.

Loki smiled, and Tony said, “Now how about we get this thing stuck back on the wall, and we help you fill it?”

Loki stood, walked over to them, and took the paper from Tony's hand. He said a few words over the back of it, and then stuck it to the wall.

“You up for showing me how to shoot those fireballs?” Tony asked. “I've already told Dummy I'll use him for target practise if he douses us while you're teaching me.”

“Very well,” Loki said.

“Maybe afterwards we can watch the first Harry Potter film?” Steve asked. “I've never seen them either.”

“I'd love to,” Loki replied, as a small crept across his face and he suddenly felt more hopeful than he had in a long time.

 

 

“I’m really starting to think all those environmentalists were right about pollution of the oceans,” Tony said, as he stood at the base of the Empire State building and watched a giant Octopus curl four of it's massive tentacles around the top of the skyscraper, and use the others to swat menacingly at a police helicopter.

“How the hell can that thing survive out of the water?” Clint asked.

“The beast possesses magic. I can feel it,” Loki said. “Rudimentary, most likely self taught, but obviously very effective.”

“Call it, Cap,” Natasha said.

“Hawkeye, Widow, get back in the Quinjet and get the engines started, I'll be there in a second,” Steve replied.

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Clint replied, then they turned and ran back towards the jet.

“Hulk, Thor, Tony, I want you up top as well. You know the drill, missiles, lightning, general smashing. Go for its eyes, cut its tentacles off, anything to bring it down.”

“Am I to stay here?” Loki asked nervously, as the other Avengers left to fight the Octopus.

“If you get close enough to it, can you disrupt it's magic or something so we can kill it?” Steve asked.

“I believe I can, yes.”

"OK, you're with me."  
  


Loki's hands shook slightly as he sat in the back of the Quinjet, placed his fingers on his chest, and felt his heart pounding.  This was what he wanted; the opportunity to prove himself worthy, and he finally had it. He hadn't been left in the street, he hadn't been ignored or abandoned, and as he reached down inside he felt that bright seam of magic burst back into life.

“OK, we're level with it,” Clint shouted from the cockpit. "Do your stuff."

Loki stood, and took a deep breath as he moved towards the back of the jet, and Steve said, “You ready?”

“I am.”

“Don't be so nervous, you'll do great,” Steve said, putting his hand on Loki's shoulder, and then he said, “Come on, let's save some lives.”

“Gladly,” he replied, and as Steve hit the button that opened the back hatch, Loki blasted the creature with everything he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the nice comments, and Kudos. This is the first time I've posted a work in progress and it really helped :-)
> 
> I wrote a sequel to this fic, it's called "I used to be a god, but then I took an arrow to the eye" and it's located [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/442607/chapters/756233) :-)


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